The production of printed circuit boards, which form the basis of virtually all electronics, is one of the most environmentally demanding parts of the electronics industry. It is associated with high consumption of chemicals, energy and water, and recycling these components after the end of the product's life is also problematic. In the Czech Republic alone, more than 150 thousand tons of electronic waste were collected in 2025, with approximately six percent of this being printed circuit boards.
"Our goal was to find a technology that would significantly reduce the use of toxic chemicals and at the same time enable the use of plastic waste as a valuable raw material. After two years of development, we managed to create a functional production process and verify its ecological benefits," said Petr Veselý, head of the research team.
This is precisely the problem that the joint project of researchers from the Department of Electrical Technology of the Czech Technical University and the Institute of Polymers of the Institute of Chemical Technology Prague focused on, which was supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic in 2024–2026 as part of the Environment for Life program and the National Recovery Plan.
The scientists are now working on further improving the technology and transferring it into practice.
The research team at the Institute of Chemical Technology used waste plastic based on PVC, which is generated during the production of gramophone records. The material was provided by the Czech company GZ Media, which is the largest producer of vinyl records in the world.
“Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used for the production of gramophone records is unplasticized and, due to its high chlorine content, is naturally self-extinguishing. This allowed us to create a material that meets safety requirements without the need to add other substances that are often environmentally problematic,” explained Alena Kadeřábková from the Institute of Chemical Technology.
The researchers prepared a filament for 3D printing from the waste material. The tests confirmed that the requirements of the international UL-94 standard for self-extinguishing were met while maintaining mechanical properties comparable to commonly used materials for 3D printing. The result is protected by a utility model.
The team at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Technology of the Czech Technical University followed up on the recycled substrate by developing a production process for creating electronic circuits. The technology uses 3D printing and special conductive inks instead of traditional chemical processes.
“An advantage of our process is also the complete elimination of soldering or conductive bonding of components, which further reduces the energy intensity of production,” added Veselý.
3D printing of an electrically insulating substrate also allows for greater flexibility in the design of electronic circuits and the integration of components directly into the material structure. The researchers also pilot-tested the long-term reliability of the connections and solved the interconnection of multiple layers for more complex electronic circuits.
The project also included a detailed assessment of environmental impacts using the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology.
“It is clear that we will not install electronics made from waste plastic in an aircraft or other equipment where reliability is a critical factor. On the other hand, most consumer electronics do not have such extreme requirements. This is where the potential for reducing environmental impacts can be very significant,” added Kateřina Bartošová from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of the Czech Technical University, who participated in the evaluation.
The analysis showed that the new technology can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 60 percent compared to traditional production. In the category of toxicity to humans, the decrease reaches up to 90 percent. Another advantage is the possibility of recycling the used plastic after the end of the device’s life.
The solution also has its limitations. 3D printing technology does not yet allow the production of very fine structures needed for the most modern chips, and researchers have not yet found a suitable alternative to copper-based silver conductive inks that would reduce the ecological footprint even further. The team therefore plans to continue the topic after the end of the project and focus on further technological and material improvements that would enable wider industrial use of sustainable electronics.