Episode 6: Green Electronics

A fair portion of discarded electronics ends up in landfills and that ends up harming our planet. A recent UN report found that we’re throwing away more than 48 million tons of electronics a year. The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Sciences in Zurich have developed a wood-derived material which is an alternative to traditional plastics and polymers. Shini Somara speaks to Gilberto Siqueira, the lead scientist at the facility, to find out more.

Siquera explains how this new technology works and why it can be a game-changer in his industry [02:00]. This new technology depends on cellulose, the material found in the walls of plants. Shini also spoke to Gustav Nystrom, the head of the cellulose lab. Gustav explains what is still lacking in the process but remains hopeful about finding a solution to the technology’s shortcomings [06:01]. 

In our second story, Emma Keeling heads to Gothenburg in Sweden, to investigate a new way of recycling plastic that could break our dependency on fossil fuels. She speaks to Henrik Thunman and his team at Chalmers University about this new form of technology that aims to increase the amount of plastic we can recycle, thereby minimising the amount that is polluting the planet. Henrik explains how his team uses a process called “steam-cracking” and also reveals the surprising ingredient that makes it all possible [11:17]. 

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