Tech innovations solve e-waste.

Two key solutions to the e-waste problem have emerged: moving from a linear to a circular economy, and fostering digital sustainability, including creating more efficient IT.

The two solutions go hand in hand. In a circular economy, designers and manufacturers create products with the end of the products’ lives in mind. That means keeping products in use for as long as possible and then recycling the materials that go into them to minimise or even eliminate waste. Digital sustainability means adopting technology that has environmental, societal and financial benefits. Circularity is making this improved technology possible.

“Circularity is the next big frontier for digital sustainability. In today’s predominantly linear economy, the approach is take, make, waste. In a circular economy, the approach is reduce, reuse and recycle,” Ms Varma explains:

She says that to start shifting to a circular economy, business leaders can ask their IT teams a few simple questions:

Are we procuring devices that are durable and built to last?

Are these devices built using materials that are recyclable?

Are we able to minimise the downstream impact from recycling and reusing?

“Circularity drives the opportunity to think about how we provide for our children, our grandchildren and the next generation, as well as our own impact that humanity has on the rest of the ecosystem that we live in,” says Kevin Lo, circularity lead at HP, which has partnered with ChromeOS on recent initiatives.

Becoming part of the solution

Tech companies have stepped up to become part of the solution to the e-waste problem. For example, HP designs products to be durable and easily repaired so they can stay in use for as long as possible, while its service-based solutions reduce environmental impacts through extended life, device optimisation and product take-back. HP’s repair, reuse and recycling services also help to recover products, components and materials for the next generation of products [4].

Because of the large number of components comprising electronic devices, such initiatives require co-ordination between component makers, software developers and other tech companies. To make the circular economy work, HP’s Mr Lo explains, tech companies must invest in their partners.