More than 20 ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US, strangling the flow of oil through the strategically vital sea lane.
As well as sending fuel prices surging, the technology industry is also reeling because sulphuric acid – needed to extract metals used in batteries and electronic components – is a byproduct of refining petroleum.
But OEMS can insulate themselves from geopolitical upheaval using cost-effective recyclable components, according to an expert at In2tec, the UK company behind pioneering reusable technology that allows components and substrates to be recovered, reused, or resold.
Emma Armstrong, In2tec’s Sustainable Electronics Ambassador and Group Commercial Director, said: “Electronics manufacturers are already reeling from the global shortage of RAM, tariffs, and trade embargoes, so relying on finite and expensive virgin materials and components is no longer an option for future-facing executives.”
The industry can insulate itself from external supply pressures by embracing a ‘reuse, repair, recycle’ philosophy when designing and sourcing products, she adds.
“Using modular products designed to be disassembled allows components to be easily replaced and recycled, and pivoting to a circular economy will reduce reliance on imported materials and ensure supply chains are less vulnerable,” Emma said. “The tech also future-proofs OEMs from tightening environmental legislation and growing consumer sustainability expectations.”
“The materials our industry is founded on are getting harder and more expensive to get hold of – and the only solution is circularity.”
Renewable technology, such as In2tec’s signature ReUSE® and ReCYCLE™, makes e-waste recycling an opportunity rather than an obligation because organisations can harvest components from printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) with minimal energy use and go on to make another three or four models with the recovered resources.
ReUSE® is a series of materials, processes, and design principles used to manufacture PCBAs, while ReCYCLE™ is the ultra-low energy process for unzipping PCBAs – the foundation of nearly all technology – to the original bill of materials (BoM).
The technology’s versatility enables global commercialisation and a substantial reduction in the overall energy used to manufacture and process it at the end of its life, something that is not possible with conventional PCBA processes or materials.
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