The Digital Downturn | A slowdown in tech and what it means for ewaste

n an age where smartphones and digital devices are central to daily life, it’s surprising to witness a significant slowdown in the tech industry. This digital downturn began in 2021, despite the growing need for technology, and has impacted everything from smartphone manufacturing to semiconductor supply chains. The question arises: why are we experiencing this downturn, and what does it mean for the future of tech and e-waste management?

Why We’re Experiencing the Digital Downturn

Several factors contribute to this digital downturn. A key driver is the global semiconductor shortage, a result of multiple challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, trade wars, and rising production costs. The pandemic caused a surge in demand for home-office devices, stretching the limits of the semiconductor industry, while geopolitical conflicts, such as the US-China trade war and the Russia-Ukraine war, disrupted supply chains. As a result, tech companies have struggled to keep up with demand, pushing prices up and production down.

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What are the different types of commercial waste? Business and industry waste types

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Transforming E-Waste Management: Apple’s Shift from Lightning to USB-C

In an unprecedented move toward e-waste management and global sustainability, Apple is switching its traditional Lightning cables to the more universal USB-C in line with a mandate by the European Union (EU). The development comes after the EU’s push for common charger standards across the tech industry, aimed at reducing electronic waste (e-waste) and promoting a more sustainable future.

Governments co-invest $2 million to boost Victoria’s e-waste recycling

The Victorian Government is offering $2 million in grants for local councils and industry to improve e-waste infrastructure across the state.

German experts closer to solar panel recycling with silicon process

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Germany have developed a process that uses 100% recycled silicon from solar photovoltaic models to produce new PERC solar cells.

Wanless and QUT win grant to tackle e-waste with robotics

The Federal Government has awarded Wanless and QUT Centre for Robotics a grant to develop a prototype for the disassembly of mobile phones. The aim of this initial project is to remove phone batteries, but the subsidy has far-reaching benefits in helping tackle the e-waste issues facing the world.

Individuals can make a difference to e-waste recycling

This year’s International E-Waste Day 2021 was marked by an estimate that the worldwide mountain of waste electronic and electrical equipment totals 57.4 million tonnes, a greater weight than that of the Great Wall of China, Earth’s heaviest artificial object.