Bioscope in action.
In our new circular tech economy, Bioscope enables organisations to acquire,
use and dispose of all their tech sustainably and securely.
Accelerating a sustainable approach to recycling
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
One study estimated that the world’s mountain of discarded electronics, in 2021 alone, weighed 57 million tonnes.
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) says there now needs to be a global effort to mine that waste, rather than the Earth.
Global conflicts also pose a threat to supply chains for precious metals.
The RSC is running a campaign to draw attention to the unsustainability of continuing to mine all the precious elements used in consumer technology.
Critical and Rare Earth elements
Elements in smartphones that could be in short supply
Smartphones contain around 30 different elements, some of which the Earth is running out of. All the while, the amount of e-waste generated is growing by about two million tonnes every year. Less than 20% is collected and recycled. We need governments to overhaul recycling infrastructure and tech businesses to invest in more sustainable manufacturing.
- Gallium: Used in medical thermometers, LEDs, solar panels, telescopes and has possible anti-cancer properties
- Silver: Used in mirrors, reactive lenses that darken in sunlight, antibacterial clothing and gloves for use with touch screens
- Indium: Used in transistors, microchips, fire-sprinkler systems, as a coating for ball-bearings in Formula One cars and solar panels
- Yttrium: Used in white LED lights, camera lenses and to treat some cancers
- Tantalum: Used in surgical implants, electrodes for neon lights, turbine blades, rocket nozzles and nose caps for supersonic aircraft, hearing aids and pacemakers.
A different approach
Sustainable recycling
- We take a sample product, e.g. a circuit board or component sub-assembly, reduce it to a sand-like powder and conduct a full ICP analysis.
- We divide samples into 3 groups, base metals (copper, nickel, tin, lead etc), precious metals (gold, silver, palladium, etc) and rare earth metals (neodymium, yttrium, holmium etc).
- We bioleach at large scale to recover base and precious metals.
We are working with our technology partners to recover the most difficult to source rare earth metals, to reintroduce to the manufacturing process thereby enabling a circular economy.
Innovating for a more sustainable future
Turning the best ideas into practice
We look at challenges facing the industry from a new perspective and think differently about how things are done today, and where we can improve them.
We look at opportunities from the outside in, improving the environment by changing the game, the market and the business, beyond a product or service.
We encourage our scientists and engineers to think bigger, to work collaboratively with our customers to achieve more.
Our people make the difference
Supporting our team and building for the future
- We are committed to providing a graduate and post-graduate student sponsorship programme, helping our future scientists and engineers achieve the highest level of academic attainment.
- We support our young apprentices during their early careers, enabling them to achieve their full potential, by continuing their formal studies whilst in the workplace.
- We work collaboratively with students, schools and further education organisations to promote STEM subjects using our knowledge and inspiration.
- We support women in STEM, encouraging members of our team to provide real-life role models based on their own experience and achievements
Our Accreditations, your peace-of-mind.
All of Bioscope and N2S’s Circular Tech Services have been tested and certified compliant against the most rigorous regulatory standards. A member of Defra’s eSustainability Alliance (DeSA), our services are NCSC Certified to CAS-S and hold a WEEE licence. The below accreditations and certifications demonstrate our commitment to offering you the most secure, sustainable way to realise your Net Zero goals.