When "The Alchemist" meets the "PCB motherboard" of the Green Computer
As the saying goes, there is never any rubbish, only misplaced resources.
Peeled corn, people often enjoy only sweet and soft corn kernels, but threw away can be used in medicine to calm the liver and gall bladder of the corn beard. This is also the case with the end-of-life disposal of electronic products, which were originally a treasure, but are "thrown away" as rubbish.
Large amounts of e-waste challenge the environment
According to the UN's Global E-Waste Monitor 2020 report, a record 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste was generated worldwide in 2019, and this figure is predicted to reach 74 million tons by 2030, equivalent to the weight of nearly 150,000 498-ton Long March 2F launch vehicles. Of the e-waste in 2019, only 17.4% was collected and recycled. That means roughly $57 billion worth of gold, silver, copper, platinum and other high-value, recyclable materials were mostly dumped or incinerated.
Leaving aside the wasted recyclable value, dumped and incinerated e-waste is also a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives and harmful substances that can damage the human brain and body's coordination system, and can be carcinogenic and even fatal. The manufacture of computers requires more than 700 kinds of chemical materials, with more than 300 kinds of substances that are harmful to the human body. Not only do they pollute the environment, soil and water resources, but the lead in them can damage the human nervous system, blood system and kidneys, and ingredients such as cadmium and brominated flame retardants can also induce cancer.
Therefore, the reduction of electronic waste requires an increase in the recycling rate, and the recycling of computer PCBs is even more urgent.
Many types of recycling, but difficult to recycle
PCB boards are usually recycled by physical methods such as complete crushing, supercritical technology for extracting and separating chemicals, incineration, biotechnology, etc. Different methods have different advantages and drawbacks, and it is difficult to recycle thoroughly with a single recycling technology. For example, using the simple and convenient incineration method, PCB will be physically broken into tiny particles, in the incinerator, the organic components are decomposed, incineration produces a mixture of metals, metal oxides and glass fibre residue, such a method will generate a large number of exhaust gases, toxic substances, direct pollution of the atmosphere, soil and water.
PCB boards are often made with a mixture of elements. For example, a densely packed circuit board may be based on a mixture of glass fibre and resin, and may also be coated with substances such as flame retardants, and electronic components may be soldered at circuit nodes.
So, in the traditional way of recycling, it is usually very simple to extract the metal elements, but the other parts of the material, which are difficult to separate, perhaps because of cost, perhaps because of technical problems, are simply discarded.
Whether it is the use of toxic substances, or finally difficult to separate substances, in addition to technical issues, PCB manufacturers can actually be designed at the beginning of the sustainable concept to create PCB boards?
It is also true that PCB manufacturers have introduced such innovative solutions.
A PCB board innovation to break the resin and glass fiber recycling rate of 0
In the Chinese Institute of Electronics held a "Green Computer Industry Technology Seminar", BioTech showcased a biodegradable PCB solution Recyclad new copper laminate, this innovative PCB board upholds the concept of sustainability, through the patented biodegradable recyclable copper laminate, so that in the past only landfill and incineration of resin, glass fiber, filler, etc. can be mostly turned into a sustainable solution, glass fibres, fillers, etc. can be largely turned into waste.
Over the past decade, BioTech has continued to drive innovation in recyclable materials, with outstanding R&D capabilities and a number of core patents. BioTech was designed from the outset with a big picture view of environmental protection. Not only does it do so without the use of toxic chemicals, but through innovative design, it also allows resin, filler and glass fibre to be easily separated at post-recycling, breaking the spell of 0 recovery rate for resin and glass fibre under traditional processes, and directly soaring the recovery rate to 95%, significantly reducing the environmental pollution caused by its inability to degrade naturally.
As the world's second largest supplier of copper-clad laminates in terms of turnover and the number one in China, SEP has always insisted on technological breakthroughs and innovations, and became the lead company of the PCB working group, thanks to the guidance of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, the call of the Green Computer Standard Working Group and the industrial promotion of Intel. At the "Green Computer Industry Seminar", in addition to sharing its outstanding achievements, SEP also announced the future direction of the PCB industry, which will promote the innovative application of recyclable and degradable PCBs with the joint efforts of the industry chain in the future.
Reduce e-waste, start with PCB innovation
PCB board innovation is only the tip of the iceberg, computer e-waste recycling requires more and more sustained innovation and persistence. If we do nothing, then by the time 74 million tonnes of e-waste pile up in front of us in 2030, everything will be reactive and we'll be paying more to mend our ways. Now, different players in the PC industry are working on different aspects. Intel upholds the concept of "creating technology that changes the world for the benefit of everyone on the planet", and actively promotes the innovation of high-energy and low-consumption processor technology, and closely collaborates with Sheng Yi Technology and other partners in the PC industry chain to make relevant PC products available to the market, so as to jointly move forward towards the goal of sustainable development and create a better future.
Peeled corn, people often enjoy only sweet and soft corn kernels, but threw away can be used in medicine to calm the liver and gall bladder of the corn beard. This is also the case with the end-of-life disposal of electronic products, which were originally a treasure, but are "thrown away" as rubbish.
Large amounts of e-waste challenge the environment
According to the UN's Global E-Waste Monitor 2020 report, a record 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste was generated worldwide in 2019, and this figure is predicted to reach 74 million tons by 2030, equivalent to the weight of nearly 150,000 498-ton Long March 2F launch vehicles. Of the e-waste in 2019, only 17.4% was collected and recycled. That means roughly $57 billion worth of gold, silver, copper, platinum and other high-value, recyclable materials were mostly dumped or incinerated.
Leaving aside the wasted recyclable value, dumped and incinerated e-waste is also a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives and harmful substances that can damage the human brain and body's coordination system, and can be carcinogenic and even fatal. The manufacture of computers requires more than 700 kinds of chemical materials, with more than 300 kinds of substances that are harmful to the human body. Not only do they pollute the environment, soil and water resources, but the lead in them can damage the human nervous system, blood system and kidneys, and ingredients such as cadmium and brominated flame retardants can also induce cancer.
Therefore, the reduction of electronic waste requires an increase in the recycling rate, and the recycling of computer PCBs is even more urgent.
Many types of recycling, but difficult to recycle
PCB boards are usually recycled by physical methods such as complete crushing, supercritical technology for extracting and separating chemicals, incineration, biotechnology, etc. Different methods have different advantages and drawbacks, and it is difficult to recycle thoroughly with a single recycling technology. For example, using the simple and convenient incineration method, PCB will be physically broken into tiny particles, in the incinerator, the organic components are decomposed, incineration produces a mixture of metals, metal oxides and glass fibre residue, such a method will generate a large number of exhaust gases, toxic substances, direct pollution of the atmosphere, soil and water.
PCB boards are often made with a mixture of elements. For example, a densely packed circuit board may be based on a mixture of glass fibre and resin, and may also be coated with substances such as flame retardants, and electronic components may be soldered at circuit nodes.
So, in the traditional way of recycling, it is usually very simple to extract the metal elements, but the other parts of the material, which are difficult to separate, perhaps because of cost, perhaps because of technical problems, are simply discarded.
Whether it is the use of toxic substances, or finally difficult to separate substances, in addition to technical issues, PCB manufacturers can actually be designed at the beginning of the sustainable concept to create PCB boards?
It is also true that PCB manufacturers have introduced such innovative solutions.
A PCB board innovation to break the resin and glass fiber recycling rate of 0
In the Chinese Institute of Electronics held a "Green Computer Industry Technology Seminar", BioTech showcased a biodegradable PCB solution Recyclad new copper laminate, this innovative PCB board upholds the concept of sustainability, through the patented biodegradable recyclable copper laminate, so that in the past only landfill and incineration of resin, glass fiber, filler, etc. can be mostly turned into a sustainable solution, glass fibres, fillers, etc. can be largely turned into waste.
Over the past decade, BioTech has continued to drive innovation in recyclable materials, with outstanding R&D capabilities and a number of core patents. BioTech was designed from the outset with a big picture view of environmental protection. Not only does it do so without the use of toxic chemicals, but through innovative design, it also allows resin, filler and glass fibre to be easily separated at post-recycling, breaking the spell of 0 recovery rate for resin and glass fibre under traditional processes, and directly soaring the recovery rate to 95%, significantly reducing the environmental pollution caused by its inability to degrade naturally.
As the world's second largest supplier of copper-clad laminates in terms of turnover and the number one in China, SEP has always insisted on technological breakthroughs and innovations, and became the lead company of the PCB working group, thanks to the guidance of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, the call of the Green Computer Standard Working Group and the industrial promotion of Intel. At the "Green Computer Industry Seminar", in addition to sharing its outstanding achievements, SEP also announced the future direction of the PCB industry, which will promote the innovative application of recyclable and degradable PCBs with the joint efforts of the industry chain in the future.
Reduce e-waste, start with PCB innovation
PCB board innovation is only the tip of the iceberg, computer e-waste recycling requires more and more sustained innovation and persistence. If we do nothing, then by the time 74 million tonnes of e-waste pile up in front of us in 2030, everything will be reactive and we'll be paying more to mend our ways. Now, different players in the PC industry are working on different aspects. Intel upholds the concept of "creating technology that changes the world for the benefit of everyone on the planet", and actively promotes the innovation of high-energy and low-consumption processor technology, and closely collaborates with Sheng Yi Technology and other partners in the PC industry chain to make relevant PC products available to the market, so as to jointly move forward towards the goal of sustainable development and create a better future.