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 42gCO2eq to 25.7gCO2eq 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.