Pentaform is a tech start-up that offers a potential solution to our electric waste by creating gadgets that dissolve in water, leaving behind only their electronic components for further recycling. It is something that’s highly possible for our future. The main idea of this project is to produce both housing of electronic components and its circuit board to be biodegradable, utilizing fully water-soluble plastic materials from Aquafade.
Any electronic products can benefit from Aquafade plastic material, for instance, a computer or a remote control. It can use a thin waterproof coating on the outside to protect it from moisture, yet when the device is no longer useful, simply open the case and submerge electric components in water, it will completely dissolve in just 6 to 8 hours. Pentaform explains that as the plastic starts to break down, all valuable electronic parts can be separated from the material using bare hand, any other remaining plastic-water mixture can be tipped down a toilet or sink where it finishes its decomposing process in the sewage system.
Samuel Wangsaputra and Joon Sang Lee, Pentaform co-founders, came up with Aquafade due to the frustration with both biodegradable plastics and e-waste. We all know that most biodegradable plastics usually end up in landfill instead of composting facilities, in the end, they will enter environment as microplastics. Aquafade is hoped to become one of the best processing facilities with no microplastics left behind.