Reducing E-waste

E-waste is reduced most simply by keeping each device in use for longer, so fewer devices are thrown away. Every extra year you get from a device is a year in which no new one has to be manufactured from raw materials.

Reuse and repair first

Reuse means passing a working device on to someone who still needs it, and repair means fixing a fault so that the same device carries on working. Both extend its useful life, so the device stays in use for longer before it becomes e-waste. If a tablet no longer holds its charge, fitting a new battery can give it several more useful years. Disposing of a device that still works, or that a technician could fix, wastes the materials and the energy already spent on making it — the value built into it is thrown away.

Replacement cycles

A replacement cycle is how long you keep a device before swapping it for a new one. A short cycle means devices are bought and disposed of more often, so more e-waste builds up; a longer cycle means fewer devices are bought and thrown away over the same period. For example, a school that replaces 40 classroom tablets every 3 years gets rid of four sets in 12 years (160 tablets). Stretching the cycle to 6 years means only two sets (80 tablets) are discarded in the same time, halving the e-waste. A longer cycle reduces the disposal problem, but it does not remove the impact of manufacturing and using the devices.

Actions that reduce e-waste

These actions work together: a repairable design only cuts e-waste if people choose to repair rather than replace, and convenient recycling or take-back schemes make that choice realistic.