5G technology can greatly increase e-waste disposal in the coming years by causing recent devices to become obsolete. As a tech-savvy, cash-strapped country prepares to upgrade to the next generation of ultra-fast 5G devices, there is a surprising environmental cost to consider: a new mountain of obsolete devices.
About 2.7 million pounds of discarded electronics are already processed monthly at the Electronic Recycling & Waste Company (ER) recycling plant in Fresno, United States. Outdated devices such as smartphones with an 8 megapixel camera or tablets with only 12 GBs of storage arrive daily.
This stream is expected to turn into a torrent as the world is upgraded to 5G, the next big step in wireless technology. The 5G promises faster speeds and other benefits. But experts say this will also result in a dramatic increase in junk mail, as millions of smartphones, modems and other devices incompatible with 5G networks have become obsolete.
This is a good deal for ERI, which charges customers for collecting their electronics and securely cleaning their data. The company also makes money from reconditioning and reselling devices. But less than a quarter of all US electronic waste is recycled, according to a United Nations estimate. The rest is incinerated or landfilled. This is bad news because electronic waste can contain harmful materials such as mercury and beryllium that pose environmental risks.
Even so, some companies are increasing their efforts for recycling on their own, either for economic benefit or to stimulate public relations. For example, Apple in 2018 introduced Daisy, a smartphone recycling robot that can take apart 200 iPhones every hour, and says it diverted 48,000 tons of junk from landfills that year.
But that's a drop in the balance compared to 50 million tons of e-waste generated globally last year - a number that is set to soar as consumers replace their old devices with newer, 5G-ready devices.
In the July / August issue we approached the junk mail, so we decided to talk to the e-Junk company that was born from the market perception. In 2012, when e-Sucata started its activities, there was space in the gaucho market for a managed company willing to serve the customer in the waste market, based on their specific needs. They comment that initially did not work with recycled, the volume actually varies a lot. However, it is estimated that Brazil generates 50 million tons per year of general electronic waste as shown in the text.
Its presence in the market makes it possible to irrigate the entire production chain, which allows hundreds of small recyclers to maintain their activity, removing tons of waste from the environment. Its main objective is to increasingly consolidate its position as a reference company in the southern electronic waste segment.
