photo by Peter Shanks via Flickr CC
Among the concepts presented at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) were brain sensors and electronic tags that are capable of dissolving. In addition to this technology being a huge asset in the medical field, it would also be a great step toward minimizing our current production of electronic waste.
As technology currently stands, precious metals like gold are integral parts of medical devices and consumer electronics alike. And when those items reach the end of their useful lives, they are, more often than not, discarded rather than recycled or repurposed. This puts a strain on our precious metal resources and creates hazards in landfills, so the use of dissolving electronics would be beneficial all around.
John Rogers, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign is currently working with materials such as silicon, silk, and rice paper to develop dissolving brain sensors. He noted that “We’re quite optimistic. We see the way forward and are about halfway there.”
Do Your Part by Recycling
For now, the best thing you can do with electronics to support the health of the environment is to recycle them responsibly. At Cash for Electronic Scrap USA, we pay you to do just that. All you have to do is fill out our simple form, send in whatever unwanted electronic scrap that you may have, and wait for a check in the mail! It really is that easy to do good for the environment.
