A British company has unveiled a printed circuit board with is fully recyclable.
In a market long dominated by non‑recyclable glass‑fibre and epoxy substrates, Hampshire-based Jiva Materials says its flagship product Soluboard® is the first rigid PCB substrate engineered for full recyclability and a significantly lower carbon footprint.
The development could have applications in the lighting industry in control gear, which is one of the most challenging components in a luminaire from a sustainability perspective.
Based on plant‑derived fibres and a non‑toxic, water‑soluble polymer, Soluboard enables delamination when immersed in hot water—allowing recovery of electronic components, composting of organic fibre, and safe disposal of leftover solution via standard wastewater systems.
That removes the need for shredding or incineration, saving up to 67 per cent of embodied carbon compared to conventional FR‑4 substrates.
Founded in 2017 by designer‑engineer Jack Herring following academic experimentation at the Royal College of Art, Jiva’s innovation addresses a growing environmental crisis.
Global e‑waste reached around 62 million tonnes in 2022, with only around 22 per cent formally recycled; PCBs alone contribute 18 billion m² annually to that total.
Soluboard has already attracted attention from major electronics and appliance manufacturers across the EU, keen to comply with toughening producer responsibility laws and reduce lifecycle emissions.
The technology holds UL Recognition and is backed by ISO 9001 accreditation, providing industry confidence in its reliability.
Following a heavily oversubscribed crowdfunding round that raised £250,000, Jiva is moving swiftly toward commercial rollout. Collaboration via a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Portsmouth further strengthens its path to scale.
‘With Soluboard®, we’re flipping the script on PCB waste,’ Herring told the Circular Lighting Report. ‘It’s time manufacturers take full lifecycle responsibility.’
As e‑waste volumes surge, Jiva’s water‑delaminating, compostable approach could prove transformative—offering a circular, high‑performance alternative to traditional PCB materials and bringing electronics one step closer to cradle‑to‑cradle design.
• Learn more about sustainable lighting at Circular Lighting Live 2025, Recolight’s flagship conference and exhibition, which takes place on Thursday 25 September 2025 at the Minster Building in the City of London. Free to specifiers, Circular Lighting Live 2025 will feature leading experts, specifiers and policy makers who will share their insights into forthcoming standards and legislation, emerging technologies and new business models. More info: www.circularlighting.live
