the environmental toll of our smart tech obsession - air purifier manufacturer

by:Yovog     2023-03-26
the environmental toll of our smart tech obsession  -  air purifier manufacturer
We 've all been there: you're in the grocery store, staring at the carrots, trying to remember if there's still something tired in the fresh-keeping box drawer in your fridge.
It is impossible to know without looking at your refrigerator, but it is impossible. Or is it?
New smart technology refrigerators like LG's upcoming InstaView ThinQfridge allow you to remotely check items in your refrigerator using your phone.
The fridge is also equipped with Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa, so you can have it create a shopping list, set a food expiry date, or tell you the weather.
LG fridge joined the ranks of products connected to the Internet and was promoted to be able to make our lives easier by performing automated tasks.
The global smart home market will show explosive growth;
A study published earlier this month estimated that the figure would exceed $53 billion by 2022.
Due to constant upgrades, the release of new models and technology companies has purposefully shortened the service life of their products, a practice known as planned out-of-date, and people are buying new technology products more and more frequently.
As appliances such as washing machines, air purifiers, printers and stoves become more like other gadgets, it is likely that consumers will replace them more frequently.
Throw them out more often
This means that a large number of waste electronic products have entered the landfill site, causing soil and air pollution.
In addition, it is very resource to make these gadgets.
Metal such as lithium, cobalt and aluminum, as well as silicon wafers and plastics, are used for reinforcement.
There is also a human factor that needs to be considered: workers are exposed to hazardous chemicals when dealing with waste, thus endangering their health and safety.
Some progress is being made as recovery rates increase and the implementation of the "recovery" program, but experts say companies and governments need to ensure that electronic products are more sustainable throughout the life cycle.
"The market system was built to require companies to focus on profits," said Eric Williams, associate professor of technology at Rochester Institute of Technology and expert on electronic waste.
"The performance and price of the product is indeed the dominant design factor.
Electronic waste
Discarded items such as computers, televisions, mobile phones and printers have grown steadily, from 41 million tons in 2014 to 45 million tons in 2016.
This is the fastest growing waste logistics in the world.
Some say the number is probably much higher than reported.
"I believe all the electronic data available
The amount of waste is undervalued, "said Bob Howton, a pioneer in electronic recycling in the United States. S.
CEO of Saint sustainable electronics.
"Everything from toys to cars now has Electronics, which has never been included in industry estimates.
"But with the increase in electronic waste, the amount of recycling is also increasing. Forty-
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 1% of discarded electronic products were recovered in 2014, compared with 10% in 2000.
This is partly due to the fact that large technology and consumer goods companies make it easier for consumers to recycle their used electronics.
Most big brands now offer a return option for consumers.
Apple's renew program allows consumers to recycle any Apple device.
LGoperates carried out a similar initiative, which greatly increased the recovery rate of the company.
It recovered 41 million of electronic equipment in 2016 and 8 million in 2010.
"Significant changes have taken place over the years," said Rick Goss, senior vice president of environment and sustainability at the Information Technology Industry Board, which promotes on behalf of major technology companies.
Energy and the environment are now taken into account at the beginning of product design, Goss said. “[Our customers]
"Want to recycle options," he said . ".
"They asked us.
However, a large number of emails
The garbage remains in the landfill.
Only about 20%, or 9 million metric tons of electronics.
Waste was recycled around the world in 2016.
Tensie Whelan, director of the Center for Sustainable Business at New York University's Stern Business School, said the company needs to do more to ensure that their products are easier to recycle.
This means that when designing an electronic product, toxic parts such as lead and mercury can be easily separated from non-toxic parts for proper treatment.
But responsibility is more than just the company.
The government has a great role in maintaining e-commerce.
Low level of waste.
They can use laws to stop the illegal delivery of used electronic products to developing countries like India and China, which often lack the infrastructure to safely recycle toxic waste, which puts people and the environment at risk.
% E-40
Waste for American recyclersS.
According to the a2016 report of the environmental non-profit Basel Action Network, garbage dumps shipped abroad, mostly in Asia.
There is currently no federal law in the United States. S.
Although it is illegal to import electronic products in many other countries, this prohibits the export of these productswaste. “We [
In the field of technology
In line with the government, we are all trying to stop the illegal transfer of e-commerce.
Waste countries that cannot be managed, "said Goss.
"This is a very complex challenge.
I don't add sugar to it.
"The innovation cycle of our products is quite fast," acknowledged Goss . "
He added that the proliferation of products from different manufacturers is also a problem, especially from smaller manufacturers who may lack the reuse and recycling commitments of larger companies.
John Taylor, senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability at LG Electronics USA, said the customer requested an upgrade.
People want to connect and control their devices by clicking on the smartphone button, he said.
"Not only do we develop these products because we think they are cool," Taylor added . ".
"We are meeting the needs of consumers.
"But consumers are often forced to upgrade their devices because the company makes it difficult for the old models to work best," said Williams of RIT . ".
"Premature elimination is an ongoing problem," he said . "
"The device can be difficult to fix, or sometimes it needs to be upgraded to keep up with the new operating system, resulting in an additional purchase of the new device.
"This is not to say that smart home products cannot be used in a green way.
"A Talking fridge that adjusts energy use, reduces intensity and helps you manage your food better so you don't waste food," says Whelan of New York University . ".
The challenge is what happens when the fridge ends the call.
Clarification: The wording of Goss's comments on the production cycle and out of date was modified to reflect the author rather than Goss's suggestion that this would result in more equipment being thrown away.
To learn more and join the new world community, join our Facebook team.
The Huffington Post's new World Series is funded by new economic partners and the Kendall fund.
All content is editorial independent and has no basic impact and input.
If you would like to contribute to the edit series, please send an email to this new world @ huffpost.
Chat Online
Chat Online
Chat Online inputting...