Circularity in the electronics industry is no longer a pipe dream

According to The Circularity Gap Report, the current global economy is just 7.2% circular (dropping from 9.1% in 2018), meaning that for the most part, materials are mined, created into products, sold, and then disposed of. This very wasteful way of life has sadly been the norm for decades.

Circularity in the electronics industry was historically deemed an impossibility due to multiple challenges, including the complexity of the construction of conventional PCBAs and the limited repair, recycling, and reusability options. The process to separate the components from a substrate is costly, and the stress caused to de-soldered components leads to their questionable viability.

These issues and associated costs have consistently been at the heart of the global ewaste problem and why the outcome to-date is to bury or burn it!

In2tec’s sustainable electronics solution; ReUSE and ReCYCLE, is a closed-loop process allowing manufacturers to remove components from existing electronics at the end of their useful life and reuse them.

ReUSE is a suite of patented inks, adhesives, materials, and process and utilises proprietary design techniques to manufacture PCBAs. ReCYCLE is the ultra-low energy process for unzipping PCBAs back to the original bill of materials (BoM). The components are returned without causing stress or damage, allowing for their reuse in other products or for resale in the growing second-life market.

“Our technology allows manufacturers to easily repair and extend the life of products or reuse them in manufacture. We’re bringing full circularity to the electronics industry and minimising the use of raw materials and minerals that are rapidly running out,” says Emma Armstrong, Sustainable Electronics Ambassador at In2tec Ltd. 

Linear economies cause devastating pollution to our water, soil, and air while raising the earth's temperature to unstable levels. More than 90% of materials are either lost or remain unavailable for reuse. The Global Electronics Council reported that within the 57Mt of ewaste generated in 2021, over $60bn of valuable components were wasted!

“The electronics industry needed a solution to minimise waste by reusing existing components that in most cases have been used for barely a quarter of their viable lifespan,” Emma continues.

In2tec’s solution means that ewaste becomes a value chain, not a cost chain. Manufacturers reduce the costs spent on components and WEEE charges and creates additional revenue streams through the resale of valuable components and materials by OEM’s and Recyclers.

A number of large OEMs are engaged with In2tec to better understand the technology and the benefits it will have for introducing a circular economy to their manufacturing processes. The closed-loop process brings financial gain to OEMs, and with over 70% of the CO2 in a PCBA coming from first-life components it also dramatically cuts their CO2 emissions in manufacture and disassembly.

“The current linear economy isn’t just unsustainable; we can’t let it continue. Global resources are running out and for the benefit of future generations we need to reuse what we already mined. The electronics industry must address its impact on the planets resources, and having a solution that provides value means we’re seeing OEMs take an interest in ReUSE and ReCYCLE,” concluded Emma.