S6E6: The World's First Fully Recyclable Electronics Could Help the E-Waste Crisis | with Dr. Aaron Franklin

According to the EPA “Although E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, it equals 70% of overall toxic waste”.According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, it takes roughly 500 lbs of fossil fuels, 50 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor. We have an E-waste problem. But, scientists and engineers are making strides to create more environmentally friendly electronics, including our guest, Dr. Aaron Franklin of Duke University.

Dr. Franklin and his lab caused a lot of hype recently, because they developed the world’s first fully recyclable printed electronics. Electronics are very difficult to recycle, because the silicon chips they use can’t be recycled. But Dr. Franklin’s work developed a recyclable electronic component using this material called nanocellulose, which can be recovered and reused without losing much of their performance variability. We’ll hear from Dr. Franklin about this work, the implications that it has on solving the e-waste problem, and next steps we need to take to make electronics more eco-friendly.

Learn more about Dr. Franklin's work here!

Season 6 takes the creative liberty to explore topics our podcasters are passionate about. From individuals to communities impacting the climate landscape, take a listen to the episodes that speak to you!

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Hosts: Raphael Mukondiwa, Avani Reddy, Katherine Li

Writer: Raphael Mukondiwa

Reporters: Raphael Mukondiwa, Avani Reddy, Maleeha Mahbub

Guest: Dr. Aaron Franklin

Audio Editor: Katherine Li