What are biodegradable electronics, and could they solve the e-waste crisis?

The answer

Biodegradable electronics, also called transient electronics, are devices designed to physically disappear after their useful life through dissolution, degradation, or absorption. Researchers at Stanford developed fully biodegradable circuit boards using cellulose nanofibril substrates that decompose in soil within months. In 2023, Northwestern University created a wireless, battery-free bioresorbable pacemaker that dissolves harmlessly inside the body after temporary pacing is no longer needed. The UN reports that global e-waste reached 62 million metric tons in 2022, with only 22.3% formally recycled. Key materials used in biodegradable electronics include silk fibroin, rice paper, shellac, and zinc (which safely dissolves in biological fluids). Samsung announced plans to incorporate biodegradable components in packaging sensors, and Intel has researched decomposable chip substrates. The primary limitation remains performance: biodegradable semiconductors can't yet match silicon's capabilities for complex computing.