Rebooting consumer electronics
As our attachment to consumer electronics continues to grow, so does the industry: it’s projected to reach $1.53 trillion globally by 20261 - a number that’s difficult to conceive because of its sheer size - up almost 40% from 2019. Makes sense considering nearly 84% of the world’s population2 owns a smartphone today…
With #CES kicking off this week, we thought we’d dig a little deeper into the impacts of such a behemoth industry. While the focus of the consumer electronics show will no doubt be on #nextgentech, the latest chips, wearables and expanding metaverse, there’s still an urgent conversation to be had around the sustainability of consumer tech.
In recent years, the societal and environmental impacts of the industry have finally come under some scrutiny. 53 million tonnes of e-waste3 is generated globally each year (that’s over 7kg for each person on the planet!), and less than 18% of it is recycled. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The increasing sophistication of our devices means increasingly complex, opaque and unsustainable manufacturing and supply chains, with the mining of more minerals than ever, in dangerous working conditions.
In short, consumer electronics are in need of a reboot.
This edition of The Upside looks to shift the conversation from the sustainability of electronics’ materials to include other facets of the problem - like sustainable manufacturing, transparent and fair supply chains, and new circular business models.
