Electronic consumption has changed in the last 10 years

Nowadays it is almost impossible to imagine a life without a cell phone in your hand. Computers, tablets and smartphones have transformed the way we communicate, work, learn and have fun. They became even more essential when the COVID-19 pandemic forced professional dynamics, classes, meetings and social relationships to move online.

But few people realize that our dependence on electronic equipment has colossal environmental costs, from extracting minerals to disposing of used devices. Consumers continue to buy faster, newer products with more storage and better cameras even when their devices still work perfectly.

In 2019 alone, 53.6 million tons of electronic waste were discarded worldwide. Of this astronomical value, only 17% is recycled correctly. The inside of most equipment Electronics are made up of various types of metals such as gold, silver, palladium, copper and aluminum. Incorrect recycling leads to these metals not being recovered or reused, ending up incinerated, in landfills in underdeveloped countries and even spilling these substances into rivers and seas.

Electronic products are increasingly smaller and lighter compared to models from 10 years ago. Modern televisions have thin, flat screens unlike the bulky, cubic televisions that existed until the beginning of the 21st century; smartphones came to replace MP3s and MP4s, portable CD players and landline phones, GPSs and photo cameras; streaming services (Netflix, HBO, Disney+, among others) have stolen the place of cassette, DVD and Blu-ray players.

Despite all this reduction in volume and fusion of several different equipment into one more multifaceted and efficient one, e-waste production continues to rise at an overwhelming speed. In the space of a decade, between 2010 and 2020, electronic waste produced worldwide almost doubled.

                                                          Source: Statista

So what's the problem?

Until the end of the last century, buying a television, a cell phone or any electronic product was an important event. It was supposed to last for many years and, when a component was damaged, the equipment was taken to a store to repair the damage.

Currently, our mentality regarding electronic consumption has changed radically. Mass production and the trivialization of technology generated a large drop in price compared to the value of the products 10 years ago. When a cell phone breaks, we buy a new one. Most of the time, it is not financially worth it to go to a store to try to resolve the fault. A toaster or hand blender that stops working is immediately abandoned in a corner of the house and replaced by a new one.

This consumerist thinking characteristic of the 21st century and the financial accessibility of electronic products leads to an excessive increase in technological production to respond to demand.

To try to stop this technological waste and consequent pollution of the planet, we must reduce consumption, correctly recycle products we no longer use and invest in refurbished products. You can read more about this topic in this article: What is electronic waste and how to avoid it?