A rising tide of e-waste threatens our well being, the atmosphere and the financial system

Our increasing reliance on technology at home and at work has increased the importance of e-waste. These are discarded electrical devices such as laptops, smartphones, televisions, computer servers, washing machines, medical devices, game consoles and much more.

According to a recent study published in Nature, the amount of e-waste produced this decade could reach up to 5 million tons. That is around 1,000 times more electronic waste than was produced in 2023.

According to the study, the boom in artificial intelligence will significantly contribute to this e-waste problem as AI requires a lot of computing power and storage space. This will, among other things, lead to higher sales of computer servers used in data centers and supporting the additional computing needs of AI systems.

This rising tide of e-waste, coupled with the limited lifespan of high-tech devices, could impact global sustainability goals.

E-waste contains toxic and dangerous substances such as mercury, which can pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. E-waste is one of the fastest growing types of solid waste worldwide: more than 5 billion cell phones are thrown away each year, according to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum.

In 2022, e-waste reached a record 62 million tons – an 82% increase since 2010 – and accounted for 70% of total global waste. However, less than 20% is officially recycled.

Data centers and transmission networks are responsible for more than 1% of global energy consumption and 0.6% of global carbon emissions. According to a recent McKinsey report, the power consumption of AI applications in the US will increase from 4% to 12% of today's total electricity demand by 2030.

Meeting these requirements could require over $500 billion (£395 billion) of investment in data center infrastructure. It is already forcing big tech companies to find new solutions to satisfy this energy hunger, such as buying electricity from nuclear power plants.

The environmental impact of e-waste is significant. The toxic chemicals in electronic and electrical hardware can contaminate soil and water. In some parts of the world, e-waste is burned to extract valuable materials, resulting in air pollution. Even the processes for formally recycling materials are challenging due to the hazardous substances in the waste.

E-waste processing in India.
PradeepGaurs / Shutterstock

Some factors underlying the rise in e-waste, such as increasing energy consumption in data centers, could also hinder efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The increasing tide of waste itself could hinder progress on sustainability goals, particularly those aimed at balancing economic development with environmental protection.

There are particular concerns about the impact of e-waste on human health. Discarded equipment may contain cancer-causing chemicals such as PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Exposure to e-waste has also been linked to low birth weight and adult reproductive problems. Children are particularly at risk because their development can be affected by toxic substances in the environment.

The economic impact of electronic waste is also significant. Cleanup costs will increase, and since comparatively little e-waste undergoes formal recycling, this may result in the loss of economically valuable resources such as gold, platinum and other key materials used in technology.

Sources and trends

The Nature study on the impact of AI on e-waste used “material flow analysis” to forecast growth in demand for hardware. The researchers developed four scenarios to predict future e-waste growth: “limited,” “conservative,” “moderate,” and “aggressive.”

Based on historical information, computer servers in data centers were assumed to have a lifespan of three years. The amount of e-waste was calculated by estimating the number of servers that are discarded each year. This made it possible to forecast the cumulative amounts of e-waste for each scenario up to 2030. The results suggest that between 1.2 and 5.0 million tonnes of waste were produced between 2020 and 2030.

The significant increase in waste technology highlights the need for intervention strategies. The study supports circular economy approaches to address the problem – a production and consumption model that reuses materials and products and prevents them from becoming waste.

This could include extending server lifespan, reusing components, optimizing AI operations through advanced algorithms (to reduce the computing power required), and improving the efficiency of computer chips. The study estimates that such solutions could reduce e-waste by 16 to 86 percent, depending on how they are used.

Incorporating green design into electronic products could also benefit the environment. This could include incorporating more biodegradable parts into hardware, replacing toxic components with less harmful ones, and extending the lifespan of products.

Raising public awareness is also important. We need to move from a “use and throw away” culture to one where we think twice about whether we actually need new technology.

It can also be helpful to donate devices to others when we no longer need them and to encourage the use of certified e-waste recycling centers where this technology should be disposed of. Local and national governments play an essential role in e-waste management by developing policies, regulations and strategies to reduce its impact on the environment and promote sustainable practices.

Governments are tasked with setting standards for the collection and recycling of e-waste. These help ensure that electronic waste is disposed of safely and efficiently. The development of recycling technologies is an area where government investment is crucial as innovative solutions can improve safety and efficiency.

There will always be some e-waste as technological advances are crucial to improving our quality of life. However, to protect the environment, the economy and our health, it is crucial to do everything we can to reduce the amount of e-waste we generate and to mitigate the impacts of the e-waste we generate.

Alina Maria Vaduva, Director of the Business Advice Center for Post Graduate Students at UEL, Ambassador of the Center for Innovation, Management and Enterprise, University of East London and Kirk Chang, Professor of Management and Technology, University of East London

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.