Many brands are already betting on this and the volume recycled has increased, but work is still in its infancy. The concept of circular economy is the most pursued by companies.
One of the greatest evils today is technological waste. It is common for people to donate or sell their old gadgets, but there is a portion of them that is either forgotten in a drawer or deposited in the trash can. A UN survey points out that in 2016, 44.7 million tons of electronic waste were created in the world. Of this total, only 20% or 8.9 million tons were recycled.
Many technology companies are already investing in reverse logistics and recycling programs to ensure that their products are properly disposed of when they reach the end of their useful lives. Even so, there is still a long way to go for a truly broad awareness of the subject.
One of the most committed is Apple, part of its effort to address this is in a laboratory in Austin, Texas, which is researching new ways to recycle electronics. Last year, of the nearly 9 million Iphones received by Apple, 7.8 million were renewed and sent to new users, while 1.2 million were treated.
Unfortunately, other equipment is recycled differently. The devices are broken so that their internal components are exposed. With this, it is common for the elements to be mixed, in general, their recycling is impaired. Not to mention the waste produced in this attempt to dispose of electronic waste.
In addition to Apple, other brands already seek to enjoy recycled items. For example, Lenovo, the world's largest computer maker, reports that as part of its social responsibility policy, it is increasingly using recycled plastic in its equipment line. HP no longer uses reforestation paper and has products made from recycled plastic. Already Dell, uses plastic removed from the oceans in their packaging. In addition, the company practices a collection policy for its equipment for proper recycling.
Largest handset maker in the world, Samsung says it recovered 2.64 million tons of products to be recycled between 2009 and 2016. Huawei is another bet on the circular economy: the idea is that all resources are reused to maximize product value and reduce consumption and waste as well as impact on the environment.
An idea for the future may be device rentals. Thus, with each new release, the customer would return the old device and take a new one. This ensures that devices are sent for refurbishment or recycling and waste production is decreased.
