Substituting the batteries and USB connections on an old mobile phone, for example, could significantly control the rising e-waste every year
Global researchers have now joined the rat-race to find an appropriate solution to the problems of escalating tons of electronic wastes. According to experts, there are 50 million of e-waste produced every year for which recycling is probably one solution, and the other one reutilizing old product such as mobile phones.
For manufacturers, it becomes cost-effective to use raw materials rather than recycling e-wastes due to which most of the recycling sites cast-off electronic waste as it proves to be inefficient. The material research from NC State and the American Chemical Society would change the notion when it comes to recycling and reusing electronics. There is also the mounting right-to-repair movement that might change the consumer market significantly.
Of late, the researchers at NC state successfully invented a process for recovering highly conductive silver nanowires from a soluble substrate, which is considered to be a cost-effective technique that can actually assist reuse the functional materials to four times. The researchers during inventing this technique have developed a wearable health sensor constructed with silver nanowires and a polymer substrate.
The sensor was actually dissolved after testing and was then broken-down utilizing ultrasound. And to assure the reused material carried out its performance, it was crafted into a new sensor from the composite material.
Researchers also believes that wastes can be possibly reduced via right-to-repair movement. Mending old electronic products at household was considered to be an unreasonable actions for a long time and the invention of SMT technology made it more intricate and on other hand the concept of replace over repair mentality is also responsible.
Now, people and the government are actually pushing for ‘right to repair’ to reduce burden of electronic waste. Experts believes that a repair-based industry could produce half a million employment alone in the UK.
