Study cuts printed sensor carbon footprint up to 39% via materials

A Scientific Reports life cycle assessment found bio-based polyethylene and copper inks can cut a printed sensor tag's global warming potential by up to 39%. The findings guide lower-impact disposable electronics design relevant to e-waste-burdened Global South communities.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study presents a life cycle assessment of a printed hybrid sensor tag for disposable healthcare and environmental monitoring, following ISO 14040:2006 guidelines to evaluate global warming potential across substrate, electrode, and sensing materials plus manufacturing and end-of-life strategies. The analysis found that using bio-based polyethylene and copper inks minimizes global warming potential most effectively, reducing it up to 39% from 42 grams CO2-equivalent to 25.7 grams CO2-equivalent per sensor tag. Screen printing with intense pulse light curing emerged as the most eco-efficient manufacturing combination.

Vulnerable communities in the Global South are particularly affected, given the lack of robust e-waste management infrastructure that exacerbates environmental and health risks from electronic waste, and resource scarcity that makes efficient material and energy use critical. The electronics industry is the primary actor implicated, especially in material selection and recycling strategies for sensors increasingly used in remote patient monitoring and environmental sensing. The silicon sensor chip needed for data communication was identified as an environmental hotspot, alongside affordable-healthcare priorities that favor low-cost disposable sensors only if environmental impact is minimized.

Designers should prioritize bio-based and recyclable materials such as bio-based polyethylene and copper inks, and optimize manufacturing using screen printing and intense pulse light curing to minimize energy consumption and waste. Recycling is the most sustainable end-of-life option, though infrastructure challenges impede full implementation, so investment in e-waste recycling infrastructure is essential. To mitigate the silicon chip hotspot, the study suggests integrating it into a reusable device or facilitating easy separation for recycling, alongside collaborative R&D, infrastructure, and policy investment in the Global South.

Key figure — Footprint reduction: up to 39%, from 42 to 25.7 grams CO2-equivalent per sensor tag