Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1517668
50 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2024 Pedersen begs to differ with my lack of vision. As director of technology at NCAB, Jan is a true champion and visionary of the concept and is working to prove out the practice. Marcy LaRont: Jan, can you explain the concept of circularity as it relates to recyclability? Honestly, I had not heard the term before your IPC Community article. Jan Pedersen: Circularity, in the purest sense, is to reuse the scrapped PCB to produce a new PCB or another product. We use circularity to explain the lifecycle of materials, from nature and back to nature, or cradle to cradle, if you like. at can mean reusing the material in a new product or simply returning it back to nature. An Ultimate Goal in Sustainability: Recyclable PCBs Feature Interview by Marcy LaRont I-CONNECT007 Who doesn't believe in recycling? "Re-use, repurpose, recycle" has been a drumbeat for more than two decades. Our children learn about it in primary school. Full university departments devoted to environmental sci- ence and sustainability forward their disci- pline for the world's benefit. In theory, we all get behind the concept of recycling, even if the nuances of execution may fall short. When I first heard of recyclable PCBs, I was skeptical. ere are so many distinct ele- ments of a printed circuit board: fiberglass, sol- der, metal finishes, and all manner of compo- nents. I have been far more apt to picture them being repurposed (unfortunate art deco PCB earrings come to mind) than recycled. But Jan