The Internet of Trash: IoT Has a Looming E-Waste Problem (ieee.org)

As we add computing and radios to more things, we're also adding to the problem of e-waste. The United Nations found that people generated 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste globally in 2016, and expects that to grow to 52.2 million metric tons by 2021. From a report: There are two issues. We're adding semiconductors to products that previously had none, and we're also shortening the life of devices as we add more computing, turning products that might last 15 years into ones that must be replaced every five years. In fact, many small connected devices such as trackers, jewelry, or wearables are designed to fail once the battery dies. At that point, the consumer tosses it out and buys another.

Comments

With IOT obsolescence is a Feature, not a Bug

[Anonymous Coward]

"turning products that might last 15 years into ones that must be replaced every five years."

That's the idea.

The reason IOT is being applied to otherwise mature technologies (Refrigerators, Ovens, Washing Machines, etc.) is to increase the purchasing cycle and design in 5-year obsolescence.

The whole "battery is not replaceable so I have to throw it away" is a design choice based on cost, not customer demand.

APPLE to thin and to hard to repair $5000 imac pro

[Joe_Dragon]

APPLE to thin and to hard to repair $5000 imac pro is really bad storage locked to the T2 chip on board as well?

Digital controls

[b0s0z0ku]

Digital controls are pretty damn reliable, if properly designed, often better than clockwork timers. Assuming the device is something like a washer/dryer that doesn't NEED wifi to run, it will work long after support is dropped by the manufacturer. It just won't be a connected device, and you won't be able to start a load of laundry in New Jersey from a cell phone in Hong Kong. No great loss.

Re:Digital controls

[fluffernutter]

Found it: https://thewirecutter.com/blog...

Re:Digital controls

[Mashiki]

"Properly designed" being the key two words in that. The company I work for builds things that require mechanical and digital control systems for various situations(mostly high risk industry or critical infrastructure). The mechanical stuff is designed for basically any situation you can think of, from -70C to 90C temperature swings, with dust, dirt, sand, mud, rain, low humidity, high humidity and everything between because they're critical control devices. The digital stuff is pretty sturdy, but unless you're encasing the control device in epoxy or some kind of resin, you're far more likely going to run into that as a point of failure. The digital controls funny enough fail more often then say the data and power cables, and they're usually double or triple sealed with good weather proof grease.

The other upside is, it's much easier to isolate mechanical devices from 'leaks' vs digital control system. And once the mechanical system is programmed, there's very little that can cause it to deviate if done properly. The combo system, like SCADA and so on? Well if you're dealing with idiots that have to have the device on the internet you're just plain fucked anyway. I'm looking at you cities, where your entire water treatment and waste treatment system is sitting live on the net. That one's getting better, but there's a lot of bad shit.

Ran across a case while out in Alberta, where a large municipal owned community pool had a SCADA system for chlorine control, measurement, temperature control the whole 9 yards. Was sitting open on the internet, someone fucked around with it and hi-shocked the pool. Luckily the old guy who was used to the mechanical system for decades, had the habit of doing checks every morning with a kit "just to make sure." Otherwise there would have been a lot of burned 4-6 year old kids and likely their moms that morning. And that's the shit that rarely makes the news, just think of the ones that don't.

Maybe not everything needs a net connection?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who the fuck asked for a toaster with the ability to send you a text when the toast is done?

My grandparents bought a washing machine, a fridge, a freezer and a toaster when they got married. They used all of them until they moved into the retirement home.

Meanwhile, everything but the fridge my wife owned when I moved in eighteen years ago has been replaced at least once, some of them (washing machine) more than once, and the cycle seems to be speeding up. Things are made cheaper, with features no one is asking for helping to speed along the failure rate.

If you're lucky you have an older relative with a usable appliance they want to get rid of that just needs the odd belt or motor repair every ten years or so. If not, fuck you. You're buying a new one every six years or less. Crazy.

Doesn't IoT mean trash is more valuable?

[mykepredko]

If you add IoT to a product, that means there's gold, copper, rare earths, etc. that should make recycling them a lot more attractive.

Maybe the separation processes and resulting waste aren't all that great for the environment but I would think there might be a silver lining here.

Subscription hardware.

[xack]

Pretty much soon you will have hardware that you subscribe to for monthly replacements..

Recycling centers that offer a monetary reward

[RickyShade]

If there was a place I could go to and get paid for the metal weight value of the stuff I don't want anymore (like when I junk a car), that would really entice me to quit just tossing my old junk into the nearest bin.

Wireless handphones anyone?

[Jason1729]

I just wonder what's going to happen when all the people spending $300-500 on wireless headphones find out they have a glued-in non-replacable battery that will turn their expensive "investment" into landfill within about 3 years.

It's an environmental nightmare, but will they go out and repeat the same mistake for another $300-500 or realize a wire isn't all that bad a lot of the time?

Warranty period too short

[fluffernutter]

The solution is simple, double the mandated warranty period. Let companies worry about keeping the products working for that long, and while some people will choose to replace before the warranty is up, they will be useful longer to the next owner. Less will get thrown out.

Re:Warranty period too short

[Luthair]

In some jurisdictions there is the notion of a legal warranty where the length also varies by the type of product. e.g. people have a reasonable expectation that fridges last a long time.