A life cycle assessment approach to minimize environmental impact for sustainable printed sensors
A printed hybrid sensor tag for applications in disposable healthcare and environmental monitoring optimized toward sustainability is presented. Following a systematic Life Cycle Assessment according to ISO 14040:2006 guidelines, the global warming potential associated with various substrate-, electrode-, and sensing materials, as well as manufacturing and end-of-life strategies, are evaluated. Results show that the utilization of bio-based polyethylene and copper inks can minimize the global warming potential most effectively by up to 39% from 42gCO<sub>2</sub>eq to 25.7gCO<sub>2</sub>eq per sensor tag. Among manufacturing methods, screen printing coupled with intense pulse light curing emerges as the most eco-efficient combination. Recycling is the most sustainable end-of-life option, although infrastructure challenges impede its full implementation. The silicon sensor chip needed for data communication has been identified as environmental hotspot. This study offers a comprehensive environmental evaluation of sustainable printed sensors and highlights critical challenges and opportunities for the electronics industry, particularly in relation to material selection, recycling strategies, and system-level considerations.
Authors
- Jürgen Kosel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8998-8275)
- Johanna Zikulnig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6526-3467)
- Sandro Carrara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0404-7917)
Institutions
- Silicon Austria Labs (Austria) (AT)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2025-03-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95682-8
- Citations
- 23
- Primary Topic
- Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 22.94