Franziska Kerber

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. Approximately 62 million tonnes of e-waste are generated annually, yet only 22% is collected and recycled. To put this into perspective, this equates to discarding 1 000 laptops every second. Beyond environmental concerns, improper disposal also leads to significant economic losses. An estimated EUR 60 billion worth of rare and precious materials was squandered due to inefficient recycling infrastructure in 2022 alone. Devices like routers and smoke detectors are particularly problematic, as they are often housed in plastic shells and assembled with complex materials that make recycling inefficient. Kerber’s concept eliminates these barriers by using paper as a key component. 

PAPE devices comprise densely pressed paper fibres for the housing, which combined with recyclable printed circuit boards (PCB), allows the parts to be submerged in water, dissolving away to leave electronic components. This allows manufacturers to recover valuable materials like gold, silver and copper while ensuring that the device itself can be easily recycled. The compressed paper pulp is sourced from non-recycled paper waste, which is widely available and ensures consistent quality during the manufacturing process.  

Rethinking electronics 

Inquisitive by nature, Kerber took an interest in sustainability at an early age. Her father, a physicist and award-winning inventor, would discuss emerging technologies, and one day introduced her to a dissolvable printed circuit board. During her industrial design studies, she explored compressed paper pulp as a durable yet biodegradable material for electronics. As she disassembled routers and smoke detectors to analyse recycling challenges, she realised that addressing only one part of the device wasn’t enough: “Even if we create dissolvable, recyclable circuit boards, it doesn’t really change anything if the rest of the product just ends up as waste again. The whole design has to evolve—otherwise, we’re just shifting the problem instead of solving it.” This insight led her to develop PAPE as her bachelor’s thesis. 

It was during an internship at a design agency in Cologne that Kerber began to realise her concept could evolve beyond her thesis. Learning from experienced designers and gaining access to professional 3D printing and moulding tools, she refined her approach to material optimisation. She spent many late nights in the agency’s prototyping lab, manually pressing materials, adjusting 3D-printed moulds and experimenting with drying techniques. Upon completing her thesis, she entered and won a prestigious design award, a moment that shifted her perspective: “At first, this was a bachelor’s project. But when I entered and won awards, and was invited to events like Dutch Design Week, everything changed. Suddenly, people were interested and I thought… maybe this isn’t finished yet." 

Towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

Kerber’s concept supports SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) through its circular alternative to traditional materials, as well as SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) by reducing e-waste pollution.