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En route toward sustainable organic electronics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2020

Alexandra Zvezdin ,
Eduardo Di Mauro ,
Denis Rho ,
Clara Santato  and
Mohamed Khalil
Alexandra Zvezdin
Affiliation:
Polytechnique Montreal, Engineering Physics, Montreal, Quebec H3T1J4, Canada
Eduardo Di Mauro
Affiliation:
Polytechnique Montreal, Engineering Physics, Montreal, Quebec H3T1J4, Canada
Denis Rho
Affiliation:
Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec H4P 2R2, Canada
Clara Santato*
Affiliation:
Polytechnique Montreal, Engineering Physics, Montreal, Quebec H3T1J4, Canada
Mohamed Khalil
Affiliation:
Polytechnique Montreal, Engineering Physics, Montreal, Quebec H3T1J4, Canada; and Pyrocycle, Campus Polytechnique Montreal, Quebec H3T1J4, Canada
*
a)Address all correspondence toClara Santato at clara.santato@polymtl.ca
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Abstract

Consumer electronics have caused an unsustainable amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Organic electronics, by means of eco-design, represent an opportunity to manufacture compostable electronic devices.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or e-waste, is defined as the waste of any device that uses a power source and that has reached its end of life. Disposing of WEEE at landfill sites has been identified as an inefficient solid waste processing strategy as well as a threat to human health and the environment. In the effort to mitigate the problem, practices such as (i) designing products for durability, reparability, and safe recycling, and (ii) promoting closed-loop systems based on systematic collection and reuse/refurbishment have been identified. In this perspective, we introduce a complementary route to making electronics more sustainable: organic electronics based on biodegradable materials and devices. Biodegradable organic electronics lie at the intersection of research in chemistry, materials science, device engineering, bioelectronics, microbiology, and toxicology. The design of organic electronics for standardized biodegradability will allow composting to be an end-of-life option.

Keywords

biomaterialorganicelectronic materialenvironmentally benignenvironment
Type
Perspective
Information
MRS Energy & Sustainability , Volume 7 , 2020 , E16
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2020 

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