- Combined with the surge in demand, this caused the price of lithium increased by almost 500% between 2021 and 2022.
- Many respondents said they worried about the environmental effect of unused devices they have in their homes, but did not know what to do with them or were concerned about the security of recycling schemes.
- The thing we always say is to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Scientists claim that increasing e-waste recycling is critical since mining the Earth for valuable metals to build new gadgets is unsustainable as reported by BBC.
Mountain of discarded electronics
One study estimated that the world’s mountain of discarded electronics, in 2021 alone, weighed 57 million tonnes.
Global conflicts also pose a threat to supply chains for precious metals.
It points out that geopolitical unrest, including the war in Ukraine, has caused huge spikes in the price of materials like nickel, a key element in electric vehicle batteries.
Some key elements are simply running out.
“Our tech consumption habits remain highly unsustainable and have left us at risk of exhausting the raw elements we need,” said Prof Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry, adding that those habits were “continuing to exacerbate environmental damage”.
Elements in smartphones that could run out in the next century:
- Gallium: Used in medical thermometers, LEDs, solar panels, and telescopes and has possible anti-cancer properties
- Arsenic: Used in fireworks, as a wood preserver
- Silver: Used in mirrors, reactive lenses that darken in sunlight, antibacterial clothing and gloves for use with touch screens
- Indium: Used in transistors, microchips, fire-sprinkler systems, as a coating for ball-bearings in Formula One cars and solar panels
- Yttrium: Used in white LED lights, and camera lenses and can be used to treat some cancers
- Tantalum: Used in surgical implants, electrodes for neon lights, turbine blades, rocket nozzles and nose caps for supersonic aircraft, hearing aids and pacemakers
E-Waste
All the while, the amount of e-waste generated is growing by about two million tonnes every year.
“We need governments to overhaul recycling infrastructure and tech businesses to invest in more sustainable manufacturing,” said Prof Welton.
New research by the RSC also revealed a growing demand from consumers for more sustainable technology.
In an online survey of 10,000 people across 10 countries, 60% said they would be more likely to switch to a rival of their preferred tech brand if they knew the product was made in a sustainable way.
The survey also suggested that people did not know how to deal with their own e-waste.
Stockpiling precious metals
Elizabeth Ratcliffe from the Royal Society of Chemistry told BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science that many of us were “unwittingly stockpiling precious metals in our homes”, in old phones and defunct computers.
“Manufacturers and retailers need to take more responsibility,” said Ms Ratcliffe.
Like ‘take-back’ schemes, meaning people can return their electronics to a retailer and be assured they will be recycled securely.
“The thing we always say is to reduce, reuse and recycle.
It will need everyone working together to scale up these processes and put the infrastructure in place, so we can all recycle our devices.”
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Source: BBC
