Technology to throw away

Obsolescence: why things end up in the bin

The mountain of electronic waste is growing rapidly - there are many reasons for this, as are those responsible. Krone+ talks about the interaction between manufacturers and consumers, why devices are being used for ever shorter periods and what you can do about it.

The latest "Global E-Waste Monitor" from the UN shows: We are producing more and more e-waste. In 2022 alone, 62 million tons of electronic waste will be generated worldwide - according to the authors, this would amount to a column of 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks stretching once around the equator. No less sobering: at 17.6 kilograms per capita, we Europeans are the leaders in the production of electronic waste.

The report cites an enormous increase in electronic devices as one reason for this. Much more is coming onto the market than can currently be collected and recycled. "Take e-cigarettes, for example. Or smart clothing that is becoming en vogue - with a built-in heating function, for example," says Rüdiger Kühr, one of the authors of the study. Even children's toys often only work with a battery or a plug.

According to the authors, around a third of the world's electronic waste in 2022 consisted of rather small devices such as toys, microwave ovens or e-cigarettes. And advancing digitalization is likely to require even more electronic items and therefore critical raw materials in the future, the authors predict.

Complex interrelationships
So what should we do? The most obvious answer would probably be to produce or consume less and use the devices for as long as possible before disposing of them or, better still, consigning them to second life. However, it is not quite that simple, as a look at the topic of obsolescence, i.e. the natural or artificial ageing of a product, shows.