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Electronics Are 'the Fastest-Growing Waste Stream in the World' (vice.com)
Electronic waste is a growing threat to the environment. Thanks to the low cost of manufacturing, it's easier than ever for corporations to pump out millions of laptops, smart phones, internet of things devices, and other electronics. From a report: A new initiative combining the efforts of the United Nations and the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development wants to change that. The group formed the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE), and announced itself at Davos -- a yearly gathering of the world's wealthy elite -- where it released its first report. "E-waste is now the fastest-growing waste stream in the world," PACE's report said. "It is estimated this waste stream reached 48.5 million tonnes in 2018." Most of that waste comes from Europe and the United States and ends up in places like Nigeria and Hong Kong, which suffer the human and economic costs of disposing of the material. "The material value [of e-waste] alone is worth $62.5 billion, three times more than the annual output of the world's silver mines and more than the GDP of most countries," PACE's report [PDF] said.
Windows XP being end of life’d despite being offered on netbooks new less than five years before the deadline. Now with Windows 7 being chopped we will have even more junk. Pefectly good 32 bit hardware is being scrapped due to progammers too lazy to optimize ram usage. The situation is worse with MacOS and android with the lack of updates being offered to most devices. Meanhile my “dumb” phone still is functional 10 years later.
So many products are essentially disposable because of the built-in non-user removable batteries. How about we outlaw that?
If I could have bought a genuine battery for my LG Nexus 5 instead of buying another phone, I would have. The only thing wrong with my defunct 2010 MacBook Pro is the battery. Headphones, another great example. How do you replace the batteries in Apple's AirPods? I still own lots of my old game consoles, and play them occasionally, going back to the Sega Mega Drive (Genisis for you US folk). I was gifted a Nintendo Switch, but I doubt that will work in 20+ years like the Mega Drive.
If we can stop this cancer, and even standardise the batteries, it will solve a lot of e-waste.
Plastic straws have a replacement of wax paper straws.
Being that plastic straws advantages over paper really do not counteract their overall disadvantages. Why do you think there should be so much outrage from banning a hazardous product, when there is an overall useful alternative.
Or was there some conservative talk show host, who wanted you to get angry about something really minor and wouldn't really affect your live in any noticeable way.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
another political bigot. I guess you think all Republicans don't give a shit. Well bigot, I think paper straws would be great. What I grew up with. While we are at it bigot. How about we bring back a service like the milk man, where used bottles(glass) was picked up and reused. this could be used for milk, soda, and any other heavily used bottles. But then, you are a political bigot. And think only your party of choice can offer solutions.
Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
100% tax on devices with glued-in batteries that can't be changed by the user in under 10 minutes. Same with soldered-in non-upgradeable storage. Donesky!
I initially misread the title as Electronic Arts the fastest growing waste...
Got a little laugh out of that.
A real solution: Standards and Modularity. Modularize and standardize batteries, power supplies, cables, chargers, interfaces, screens, cases, individual components/sub-components and assemblies so they can be reused and used in multiple types of devices. Even screws. Now everything is so proprietary that things can't be reused or used in different systems, so everything becomes waste.
- Non-removable batteries : Illegal
- Glued RAM/SSD/CPU/... : Illegal
- Anything unrepairable : Illegal !!
Will $CURRENT_YEAR be the year of the Linux Desktop?
With Electric batteries having a limited life span (like all of my old smart phones), we should include electric cars, which are basically smart phones on wheels. lol.
Jesus dude. Take your meds.
.. even if you feel better.
A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC