Standard of Excellence: Delivering Excellence—A Daily Goal
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
The Knowledge Base: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow With EMAC
An Ultimate Goal in Sustainability: Recyclable PCBs
April 11, 2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Who doesn’t believe in recycling? “Re-use, repurpose, recycle” has been a drumbeat for more than two decades. Our children learn about it in primary school. Full university departments devoted to environmental science and sustainability in universities forward their discipline for the world's benefit. In theory, we all get behind the concept of recycling, even if the nuances of execution may fall short.
When I first heard of recyclable PCBs, I was skeptical. There are so many distinct elements of a printed circuit board: fiberglass, solder, metal finishes, and all manner of components. I have been far more apt to picture them being repurposed (unfortunate art deco PCB earrings come to mind) than recycled. But Jan Pedersen begs to differ with my lack of vision. As director of technology at NCAB, Jan is a true champion and visionary of the concept and is working to prove out the practice.
Marcy LaRont: Jan, can you explain the concept of circularity as it relates to recyclability? Honestly, I had not heard the term before your IPC Community article.
Jan Pedersen: Circularity, in the purest sense, is to reuse the scrapped PCB to produce a new PCB or another product. We use circularity to explain the lifecycle of materials, from nature and back to nature, or cradle to cradle, if you like. That can mean reusing the material in a new product or simply returning it back to nature.
Now, we all know that a PCB and its constituents are not good for nature, so we have to look at how we can circle the material back into a new product.
LaRont: That’s fascinating to me. I know that PCB particulates, like the fiberglass laminate, can sometimes be ground up and used in things like concrete. But it feels like true circularity with a printed circuit board would be impossible.
Pedersen: It is not easy to find a true solution. Having that said, promising projects are going on in China and the Western world.
To continue reading the entire conversation, which appeared in the March 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
PCBA Market to Reach $147.5 Billion by 2035, Growing at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2025
06/27/2025 | PRNewswireThe Printed Circuit Board Assembly market is projected to reach $147.5 billion by 2035, up from an estimated $90.91 billion in 2025, growing at a steady CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/27/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007While news outside our industry keeps our attention occupied, the big news inside the industry is the rechristening of IPC as the Global Electronics Association. My must-reads begins with Marcy LaRont’s exclusive and informative interview with Dr. John Mitchell, president and CEO of the Global Electronics Association. For designers, have we finally reached the point in time where autorouters will fulfill their potential?
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A
Summit Interconnect Participates in PCBAA Annual Meeting to Advance U.S. Electronics Policy
06/26/2025 | Summit Interconnect, Inc.Summit Interconnect was proud to participate in the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), held in Washington, D.C. this June.
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.