e-waste

Greener Solutions 2025: Safer materials for Printed Circuit Boards

Link to Final Presentation

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) form the backbone of modern electronics, yet the materials that give them strength and insulation often rely on hazardous chemistries. The most common substrate, FR-4, is a fiberglass-reinforced epoxy containing compounds such as bisphenol A (BPA), epichlorohydrin, and BADGE—chemicals linked to carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, and environmental persistence. This project challenged the team to explore safer alternatives to FR-4 that maintain the demanding...

Greener Solutions 2012: E-waste Challenge with HP

During the fall of 2012 we partnered with Hewlett Packard and the Department of Toxic Substance Control on a project related to the informal e-waste recycling sector. An interdisciplinary team of students from Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science and Public Health worked with scientist at HP to characterize the processes and emissions from common e-waste recycling practices. This information informs changes to the design of consumer electronics that minimize the use of harmful substances, as well as identifying emerging contaminated from newer generations of...