Infineon Technologies (Korea CEO Seung-Soo Lee) is taking the lead in reducing electronic waste and carbon footprints by introducing recyclable PCBs.

Infineon announced on the 8th that it is introducing Soluboard®, a recyclable and biodegradable PCB (printed circuit board) substrate based on natural fibers and halogen-free polymers.

The product has been developed by UK startup Jiva Materials and will help reduce the carbon footprint of the electronics industry.

Made from natural fibers, Soluboard’s plant-based PCBs have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than traditional glass-based fibers.

This organic structure is wrapped in a non-toxic polymer. When you soak it in hot water, it dissolves, leaving behind only the organic matter that can be used as fertilizer.

Therefore, not only is there no PCB waste, but the electronic components soldered to the board can be recovered and recycled.

Infineon will use Soluboard in demo and evaluation boards to contribute to verifying sustainability in the electronics industry.

“For the first time, recyclable and biodegradable PCB materials can be used in electronics designs for consumer and industrial applications,” said Andreas Kopp, Head of Product Management Discrete in Infineon’s Green Industrial Power business unit. “Infineon actively explores the potential for reusing discrete power devices at the end of their life cycle and will play an important role in promoting a circular economy in the electronics industry.”

“Using a water-based recycling process will allow us to recover more valuable metals,” said Jonathan Swanston, CEO and co-founder of Jiva Materials. “In addition, replacing FR-4 PCB material with Soluboard will reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent. More specifically, we will reduce carbon emissions by 10.5 kg and plastic by 620 g per square meter of PCB.”

Currently, Infineon is using this biodegradable material on demo boards and evaluation boards, but is also exploring the possibility of using it on all boards. This would help make the electronics industry more sustainable.

Infineon is following the European Commission's 'Green Deal' policy. The policy aims to make circularity a way of life and accelerate the 'greening' of the EU economy, achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

In addition, Infineon is committed to the responsible collection and recycling of the electronic products it manufactures in compliance with the EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

Infineon has built three demo boards using Soluboard technology and plans to expand these boards over the next few years. Infineon already has more than 500 boards in use.

Based on the results of the ongoing stress tests, Soluboard plans to provide guidelines for the reuse and recycling of recovered power semiconductors, which is expected to significantly increase the lifespan of the components.