Wearables could create over 1 million tons of e-waste by 2050
A new study says wearable health devices—think medical wearable health devices such as glucose monitors, ECG monitors, blood pressure monitors, and ultrasound patches—could hit two billion sold every year by 2050, which is 42 times more than today.
All that tech could pile up to over a million tons of e-waste and more than 100 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2050.
Glucose monitors will lead the pack
By 2050, non-invasive glucose monitors are expected to make up nearly three-quarters of all wearables. That's a big leap compared to even current smartphone sales.
China and India are set to be the biggest sources of emissions from these devices, with circuit boards (especially ones using gold) making up most of the carbon footprint.
Smarter designs can help the planet
The researchers point out some fixes: modular designs that let you reuse parts could cut warming by over half, and swapping out certain metals or using renewable electricity would shrink the impact even more—all without sacrificing how well your device works.