April twenty second is Earth Day – a robust reminder of our shared duty to protect the planet for future generations. Whereas the decision for local weather motion grows louder, Arduino is dedicated to making sustainability an ongoing precedence by concrete initiatives and world collaborations daily of the yr.
Probably the most thrilling steps in that path is our work on bio-based printed circuit boards (PCBs) – introduced by co-founder David Cuartielles throughout this yr’s Arduino Days. It’s an effort to essentially rethink how electronics are made, used, and ultimately disposed of.
Introducing the Desire4EU undertaking
Our bio-based PCB initiative is a part of Desire4EU, a European undertaking funded by the European Innovation Council (GA N°101161251). Operating from 2024 to 2028, it brings collectively researchers and engineers from Sweden, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, and France. The purpose: to design and check bio-based multilayer PCBs that cut back environmental impression, with out compromising on performance or efficiency.
Companions embrace the Budapest College of Know-how and Economics, CROMA on the Université Grenoble Alpes, the Catholic College of Leuven, and others. Arduino is proud to contribute each open {hardware} designs and real-world testing due to the Arduino neighborhood – hey, that’s you!
The primary working prototypes have already been manufactured utilizing a brand new flame-retardant composite produced from PLA-flax, as an alternative of conventional fiberglass and epoxy. And sure, it really works: the staff has already efficiently replicated Arduino Nano and UNO boards utilizing this new bio-based substrate.
A holistic method for sustainability
As Pascal Xavier (researcher at CROMA and professor on the Know-how College Institute in Grenoble) identified throughout Arduino Days, making boards bio-compatible first and biodegradable second is a step ahead in managing rising volumes of e-waste that accumulate on our planet. However advantages don’t cease there, as a result of to benefit from the brand new supplies, researchers needed to decrease soldering temperatures – resulting in decrease vitality consumption throughout manufacturing. This helps cut back not simply end-of-life waste, however the complete environmental footprint of electronics manufacturing.
In accordance with a paper the staff revealed on Nanotechnology within the early phases of the undertaking, meeting with the brand new materials continues to be suitable with normal floor mounted expertise (SMT), that means no costly new infrastructure is required. Additionally, the brand new boards use optimized layouts to enhance yield and reliability – even with double-sided designs and through-hole vias.
Trying past the board: full lifecycle impression issues
All of those points (and extra) are being thought-about to validate the environmental advantages of the undertaking in a holistic perspective. A Life Cycle Evaluation (LCA) is being carried out by the staff on the Catholic College of Leuven, leveraging all the mandatory information to quantify how a lot waste and CO? might be saved, the vitality financial savings throughout manufacturing, and the potential for bio-leaching. The latter gives a solution to get better high-purity copper from used PCBs utilizing bacterial processes, as an alternative of energy-intensive chemical remedies.
For the time being, we estimate that 90% of the standard FR4 substrate (the composite materials made with woven fiberglass material and an epoxy resin binder historically used) might be changed with sustainable supplies – with out altering the conduct of the board throughout use at excessive environmental situations?.
Designing with the planet in thoughts (and barely altering a factor)
What adjustments when design meets bio-compatibility? Surprisingly little in response to Attila Géczy (head researcher in bio-based electronics on the Budapest College of Know-how and Economics), who took half within the Arduino Days announcement to supply fascinating technical particulars. Most present Arduino board designs might be tailored with minimal adjustments. A number of structure tweaks – like teardrop pads and improved through constructions – assist guarantee dependable manufacturing, however the general workflow stays acquainted to any embedded designer. That’s essential if we would like these applied sciences to be adopted extensively, not simply experimentally.
Be a part of the answer!
As a part of the Desire4EU undertaking, we’ll be gifting away 1,000 beta boards beginning in April 2026 – constructed on this new sustainable substrate and that includes an open-source design with LoRa® wi-fi connectivity.
We’re in search of testers, educators, and innovators to assist us consider efficiency in real-world functions. When you’re occupied with becoming a member of this system, keep tuned: we’ll share extra within the coming months.
Within the meantime, you possibly can discover the full scientific paper on the undertaking, revealed in Nanotechnology within the early phases of analysis, in addition to comply with the undertaking’s improvement on the official Desire4EU web site.
Collectively, let’s construct electronics which can be smarter, extra accountable – and constructed to final in each sense.
