62 million tonnes of electronic waste in a year: Companies hold the key to solving enormous environmental issue

According to the annual report on electronic waste published by the UN in March 2024, the world's production of electronic waste is growing five times faster than the amount of electronic waste being recycled. 

In other words, we discard five times as many computers, tablets, phones and all sorts of other electronic devices compared to the number of devices that we are able to recycle. In connection with the annual report, the UN calculated that the 62 million tonnes of electronic waste counted in 2022 can fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks. 

Companies are stuck in fixed cycles
The problem is largely that companies all over the world work with fixed cycles that determine when hardware such as computers and tablets should be replaced – rather than relating to how long the devices can actually last. The depressing truth is that many electronics products are in fact not built to last. 

The phenomenon even has a name: Built-in planned obsolescence. We are talking about manufacturers who deliberately shorten the life span of their products with the aim that you and I can buy them over and over again.  

Four percent replace computers after 1 year
An additional problem is that many companies do not consider whether their hardware is built to last or not. Meaning that the cycles remain the same, regardless of which products are chosen. Panasonic TOUGHBOOK explored this issue via a questionnaire in the Nordic countries earlier this year. The survey showed that approximately a third of companies in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland replace their hardware on a permanent basis after a maximum of three years – regardless of the product's lifespan. 

1-4 percent of Nordic companies even reply that they replace computers and tablets after less than a year. From a sustainability perspective, this is extremely harmful. But not hugely surprising.

We are all part of the problem
Thus, the behavior is most likely based on a desire to be able to always make the latest models available to employees. Sometimes there are good reasons for this, but in most cases this technological eagerness to always have the newest model is of no real importance to the companies. 

I suspect that we are all able to relate one way or another, since most of us have probably replaced our smartphones, simply because we spotted a new and smarter model. Without considering how long the existing model had left. In that sense, we are all part of the problem. 

1 percent needed repair after six years in use
The fact is that all the world's electronic products live significantly shorter lives than what is technically possible – if the products are in fact built to last. The fact is also that the tech industry is responsible for 5-10 percent of the world's emissions of CO2, according to international research institute IDC. This is a trend that we desperately must break in the name of sustainability and the climate. 

In my view, companies have every opportunity to take the first steps towards solving the problem. By dropping the fixed cycles and instead considering to the lifespan of various electronic products. If companies on top of this even choose products that are built to last for a long time, my claim is that they will also discover some solid financial savings. 

An example: A few years back, I had a meeting with a client. It was a company within the military sector that typically uses rugged and long lasting devices. Our review of the company's computers and tablets found that 1 percent of devices had needed repair after six years of use. In a sense, this was bad news for me as a salesperson. But of course extremely positive for both the company and the environment.