GREEN FUTURE: HOW TECH GIANTS CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

With consumers encouraged to upgrade their smartphones on a near-annual basis and the throwaway culture of technology continuing apace, e-waste is fast-becoming one of the key environmental concerns. Less than 40% of our phones, tablets, and laptops are recycled, with the rest destined for landfill. The key to change lies with us - and our technology giants.

THE RISE OF E-WASTE

Though e-waste has been a concern for a number of years, it’s only in the past decade that consumers have adopted technology in such a way that is causing catastrophic damage to our environment. According to one recent study, the average home now contains 19 devices, with IoT technologies such as smart speakers ballooning that figure. Data out of Europe suggests just 40% of e-waste in the European Union is recycled, with practices varying depending on the territory. In Croatia, for example, 81% of all tech is recycled, whereas, in Malta, it’s just 21%. The data is even more concerning in the United States. Although the US produces more than 6 million tons of the world’s electronic waste every year, less than 20% of it is recycled, with the vast majority headed to landfills. What is particularly shocking is that a great deal of “technology recycling” involves companies shipping their e-waste to other countries, with usable parts then repurposed and extracted and the rest thrown away. The process in itself causes great harm to the planet; in some nations, for example, gold is recovered by placing circuit boards in hydrochloric acid, which can poison local waterways and affecting the health of citizens in some of the world’s poorest countries.