Why Re-use and Refurbished Gadgets might be the Key to Circular Economy Shift for E-waste

Why Re-use and Refurbished Gadgets might be the Key to Circular Economy Shift for E-waste

Across the world, households are using and hoarding more electronics than ever before. In today’s technologically driven society individuals have become increasingly dependent on electronic devices to power and assist with virtually every aspect of life, from wi-fi connected Roomba vacuums, to home assistants such as Alexa and Google Home and smart thermostats.

Demand for personal electronics has also surged, with each household owning dozens of devices and accessories such as wireless headphones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, smartphones and more.

This shift to an electronically and digitally driven economy has resulted in an exceedingly high and exponentially growing demand for the natural resources necessary for the production of such goods. Industry experts are now sounding the warning bells, with worries about looming shortages in key elements such as gold, silver, zinc, indium, and gallium on the horizon, with some projections showing depletion within 50 short years.

Rethinking Traditional Business Models

The traditional business model most electronic manufacturers prescribe to is based upon the presumption that there will always be a cost-effective and virtually unlimited amount of natural resources necessary to produce their goods.

In short, the model is simply one based on harvesting resources > producing goods > consuming the product > disposing of the product. Yet this model simply is not sustainable. In fact, in 2014 McKinsey released an eye-opening report revealing that each year, out of the $3.2 trillion worth of potentially “recoverable” materials indisposed of consumer electronics, 80% goes unrecovered.

Regulatory and governmental agencies are also beginning to take notice, with the European Union recently revealing that waste derived from electronic equipment and electrical components is one of the fastest-growing waste segments, increasing at a rate of 3-5% per year.

Not only is this waste segment one of the fastest-growing, but it is also one in which few households have any plans to recycle them. A recent UK survey found that 96% of adults planned on keeping one or more personal technology items ranging from phones to tablets stored at home with less than 20% having any plans to recycle the items despite no longer being used. Even worse, two-thirds who responded to the survey had plans to keep the items indefinitely. Security fears seemed to be the leading reason making individuals uneasy about recycling the items (37%) with another 29% unsure of where to send their old tech for proper recycling efforts.

These findings reveal what is considered to be a key barrier to the implementation of circular economy principals for e-waste, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry.

An Unsustainable (not too distant) Future for Electronics

The aforementioned findings are of particular concern to both the scientific and electronics manufacturing community. The production of high-tech gadgets often involves the use of a wide range of rare elements in finite supply. Among these natural resources are zinc, indium and gallium and others. Our of the 75+ elements commonly utilized in the production of smartphones, for example, eleven are at a very real risk of depletion within the next one-hundred years, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry Claims.

Re-use and Refurbished Gadgets: a new hope

At the center of moving to a circular economy shift for e-waste is the “re-use” of refurbished gadgets.

Giving repair and reuse priority in the hierarchy of waste and recycling efforts

Up until now, the focus has been solely placed on waste diversion of electrical and electronic equipment from landfills and encouraging consumers to recycle “end of life” gadgets. As it relates to the “outer circle” resources have been largely diverted to focusing on designing products for easier disassembling and recycling. This move implies that there is, in fact, a closed loop of materials. However, the recovering of metals from electronics poses unique challenges capable of being tackled in a profitable manner by only large companies at scale.

Although a step in the right direction, very little focus or effort has been placed on reuse initiatives, a key opportunity to establishing a healthy circular economy shift.

By contrast, the “inner circle” consisting of reuse and repair efforts have been largely placed on the back burner, yet is where the most opportunity exists at the individual/consumer level. Embracing reuse and refurbishing is something that can have an impact at the individual household level. With education and awareness, this type of movement can have a dramatic impact.

In an effort to contribute to a circular economy and reduce e-waste, companies such as Plunc are now specializing in helping consumers sell, recycle, repair and refurbish their old electronics. The advent of these companies now means that consumers have an accessible place to recycle and sell old iPads, smartphones, gaming consoles, smartwatches, and more. This is good news for the 29% of households that reported they were unsure of where to take their electronics for recycling.

By recognizing the role they have in what is a looming electronics crisis, consumers can take action and contribute to the betterment of the environment and ultimately themselves.

A Call to Action – not too late

Researchers are hard at work, seeking alternatives to the aforementioned minerals used in the production of the world’s most favored electronics. Although alternatives such as the production of synthetic alternatives may yield promise, there is work to be done now.

Time is not on the side of the industry, however with viable solutions years or even decades away. Action must be taken now, consisting of a concerted effort made by policymakers, manufacturers and consumers alike.