Swiss researchers are leading eco-friendly electronics innovation by creating biodegradable printed circuit boards from wood.
Every smartphone, laptop, and electric toothbrush has one thing in common: a printed circuit board, or PCB. These thin green slabs connect all the tiny parts that make our devices work. But there’s a dark side to their convenience. The world produces more than 50 million metric tons of electronic waste each year, and PCBs—made mostly from non-recyclable plastics—are a significant contributor to the rising number.
Now, researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology (Empa) have developed a new kind of PCB made entirely from biodegradable materials. Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, could spark a major shift in eco-friendly electronics innovation. The scientists even built a working computer mouse using their compostable board and a bioplastic shell, proving that sustainable electronics can perform just as well as traditional ones.
Printed circuit boards are usually made from fiber-reinforced epoxy resin—a mix of glass fibers and a petroleum-derived plastic. That combination makes them strong and heat-resistant, but nearly impossible to recycle. Separating the materials is expensive and complex, so most boards end up burned to extract metals or dumped into landfills. The process releases harmful pollutants and wastes valuable raw materials like copper and gold.
For years, scientists have sought greener methods to manufacture PCBs. Some experiments used the delicate vein patterns in leaves or even “mushroom leather” to create biodegradable bases for electronic parts. Others tried new types of plastics that break down more easily. However, most of those early designs didn’t withstand heat or moisture, or they lacked the precise surface required for electronic printing.
The Empa team took a different approach by looking at one of nature’s most renewable materials—wood. Wood is built from cellulose and lignin, two key plant molecules that provide structure and strength. Cellulose forms long fibrous strands that create plant cell walls, while lignin acts as a natural glue that binds those fibers together.
The researchers extracted lignocellulose nanofibrils from the wood pulp leftover from biorefinery processes. This pulp is usually treated as waste, but it’s rich in both cellulose and lignin. The team mixed the fibers with water and ground them into a fine paste, breaking the fibers into much thinner strands called fibrils. When they pressed the wet material under high pressure to remove the water, the fibrils packed tightly together to form a solid, smooth, and uniform sheet.
That sheet became the base for the new biodegradable PCB. Tests showed that it had almost the same strength, stiffness, and ability to conduct heat and electricity as conventional epoxy boards used in everyday electronics. The surface was also smooth enough to print fine electronic circuits using inkjet technology—an important requirement for manufacturing precision parts.
To demonstrate that their invention could be applied in real-world settings, the researchers constructed a fully functional computer mouse using their wood-based PCB. They 3D-printed the outer shell using a combination of wood particles and bioplastic. The finished prototype worked just like a regular mouse but could be composted at the end of its life.
One limitation the researchers noted is that the new material is slightly less resistant to water and humidity than current PCBs. Moisture can significantly impact how electrical circuits behave, so improving water resistance will be crucial before the technology can be utilised in consumer devices. The Empa team is already exploring coatings or material tweaks that could solve that issue.
If they succeed, biodegradable circuit boards could drastically reduce the environmental footprint of modern electronics. Only about 17 percent of global e-waste is officially recycled. The rest often ends up in informal recycling operations or landfills, where toxic metals and plastics can leach into soil and water. Replacing traditional PCBs with compostable ones would reduce this pollution and make electronic recycling easier and more cost-effective.
Empa scientists are also considering the full lifecycle comparison of these boards. Early estimates suggest that producing wood-based PCBs could reduce carbon emissions by more than half compared to epoxy-resin boards, primarily because they utilise renewable materials and lower manufacturing temperatures. If scaled up, this could help electronics makers meet stricter sustainability goals while reducing dependence on fossil-fuel plastics.
Several European electronics firms have contacted Empa about industrial partnerships to explore scaling and commercialization. While no commercial launch date has been announced, Empa says small-scale pilot production could begin within a few years if funding and collaboration align. This marks a promising milestone in eco-friendly electronics innovation across the global tech sector.
For consumers, this research has direct relevance to their daily lives. Companies like Fairphone and Framework have already demonstrated that modular, repairable devices can be successful. When combined with compostable circuit boards, such products could dramatically cut e-waste. Until these materials hit the market, readers can take action by recycling old electronics through certified programs or supporting companies that prioritize sustainable design.
