Low-cost high performance sustainable triboelectric nanogenerator based on laboratory waste

The production of waste materials in laboratories is an unavoidable consequence of diverse experiments and activities. These materials can range from chemicals, solvents, and biological samples to electronic components, glassware, and plastics. Typically, this waste is classified into hazardous and non-hazardous categories, requiring careful disposal to avoid environmental and health risks. These can be repurposed for energy harvesting methods, such as using polymers in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) or recycling metallic waste for electrodes. This approach reduces waste while advancing sustainable energy solutions. This technique demonstrates remarkable efficiency in utilizing diverse waste materials to transform various forms of mechanical energy into electricity for multiple smart applications. Herein, we have collected several laboratory wastes including used waste latex gloves, aluminium tape, and glass slides, and fabricated a single-electrode TENG which produced electrical outputs of 220 V voltage, 25 µA current, and power of 72 μW at 500 MΩ resistance. The TENG device was also used to charge various capacitors and power LED light. Finally, the TENG was used to harvest various mechanical energies from natural source like wind energy, droplet energy, various exercise activities, and body movement like speaking and drinking water. This kind of sustainable, low-cost, easy to fabricate TENG device can be very useful in various applications like sensing, and biomedical sectors.