Not OK computers – where ICT waste ends and policy begins
By From the bottom of your drawers to the mountains of e-waste pilling up around the world, evidence of the ephemeral lifecycle of our ICT and electronic products is everywhere. ECOS and its partners are fighting for EU legislation and international standards to end this disaster through rules applying to the design of these products, from your smartphone to your printer. We count some successes, but there is a long way to go before the world’s e-waste is reduced.
The arrival of the digital age has brought forth unprecedented conveniences and efficiencies, but it has also ushered in significant environmental challenges. Startling statistics reveal the true extent of its impact on both resource consumption and waste generation.
According to GreenIT, in 2021, the equivalent of 111 tons of gold in terms of rarity, and a staggering 571 million tons of displaced materials – comparable to the weight of 9.20 billion humans – were used in the production of digital devices and services in the EU-27+UK alone. Alarming reports from the Global E-Waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) indicate that only 17.4% of the e-waste generated in 2019 reached recycling facilities or was appropriately managed. The rest, up to 82.6%, was poorly or even illegally handled, with a large portion dumped in low or middle-income countries, triggering conflicts, human rights abuses, chemical pollution, and environmental degradation.
However, even the disposal of a mere 17.4% of e-waste prevented the release of an estimated 15 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere, as reported by the World Health Organization. In Europe, the Ecodesign Working Plan 2022-2024 by the European Commission estimates that integrating durability and repairability aspects into ecodesign requirements for energy-related products could save at least 175 PJ in energy – equivalent to unplugging 412 million televisions.
Despite the resource savings that can come from digitalisation, it is essential to recognise the growing energy consumed to store data and the materials extracted to build digital devices, emphasising the importance of responsible and eco-conscious practices within the tech industry. Through regulation aiming at improving the longevity and repairability of ICT products, the demand for critical resources and the energy used in manufacturing can be reduced, thus lessening the overall environmental impact. This is the fight that ECOS has led in the past few years with the following successes.
EU and India reach deals on a common charger – is this the beginning of a global trend?
In a significant milestone for sustainability and consumer convenience, the European Union has finalised its update of the Radio Equipment Directive to allow for a common charger for electronic devices. The legal provisions aim to establish a universal charging standard, USB-C, for smartphones, tablets, cameras, and other portable electronics. This move is expected to significantly reduce electronic waste and promote a circular economy by minimising the need for multiple chargers and adapters. Smartphone chargers alone generate some 11,000 to 13,000 tonnes of e-waste each year in the EU. If we add chargers for other portable products such as laptop computers, this number triples. By enforcing manufacturer compliance, the EU seeks to ensure that all new electronic products sold in the EU market are compatible with the common charger.
As recently reported by SESEI, the panel of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs has given until June 2025 for device manufacturers to add Type-C chargers to all electronic products.
New EU rules will make smartphones and tablets last longer and easier to repair – but true ‘right to repair’ still far
Late last year, the European Commission and Member State representatives agreed on new ecodesign requirements for smartphones and tablets to improve their durability and repairability. The regulations aim to reduce the environmental impact of these devices and set a precedent for similar rules in other ICT products. Manufacturers will be obligated to provide access to repair information and spare parts for at least 7 years after a product is retired from the market, and software updates must be available for at least 5 years. Smartphones will also be the first product to be covered by an EU-wide repair index, indicating how end-users can choose the most repairable products on the market.
This legislation will have a global impact as anyone in the world having access to the internet will be able to access this info about smartphones put on the EU market, but also very probably sold elsewhere.
ECOS and Right to Repair campaigners, however, criticised the lack of ambition in the final agreement, as it may not fully grant consumers a universal right to repair. Issues such as potential software limitations on independent repair and the high cost and limited availability of spare parts remain only partially addressed. After their entry into force, expected for September 2023, the Ecodesign and Energy Labelling regulations both foresee a 21-month transition period before the requirements become applicable.
There are still many products to be tackled…
In Europe, many other ecodesign requirements are foreseen for other ICT products, such as printers, computers, external power supplies and servers, following the logic applied to smartphones. ECOS will provide the technical expertise necessary to reach the highest ambition in terms of repairability, longevity, and overall durability.
However, even though resource efficiency is the objective, time efficiency is not yet the rule. A product-by-product approach does not reflect the urgency that is needed to make all the products put on the EU market more long-lasting and repairable, and therefore less wasteful and impactful on our climate and resources. For this reason, ECOS and 32 other organisations, recently urged the European Commission to establish horizontal ecodesign requirements aimed at enhancing the material efficiency of electronic products.
… and many tools available to initiate the change the world needs
ECOS is also involved in the Global Electronic Council to influence the content of the global ICT sustainability label called Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). This label is currently under review to reinforce its resource efficiency criteria such as design for repair, reuse and recycling or product longevity. This process should be finalised by the end of the year.
