A biodegradable battery made from paper already exists.
Meanwhile, a Glasgow-based research team is working on sustainable circuit boards.
Zinc traces measuring 5 microns wide were first electroplated onto a carrier; next the team transferred the electric circuit onto materials like bioplastic and paper (they even tried chocolate but it was too unstable).
Tested in tactile sensors, temperature sensors and LED counters, the new circuit boards performed just as well as conventional boards. Their capabilities were still intact after being stored at room temperature for a year.
The biodegradable boards could result in 90% fewer resources being used. Components like processors that are subsequently integrated could be extracted and recycled.
In Austria, some circuit boards are made from mushrooms.
