As tech firms continue rolling out their latest artificial intelligence (AI) systems, a mountain of old electronics is piling up behind the scenes. With frequent hardware upgrades and difficult-to-recycle components, experts say the technology is accelerating the world’s garbage crisis.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the world’s fastest-growing solid waste streams, according to the World Health Organization. Since 2010—a year marked by the launch of Apple’s iPad—humans have been steadily producing greater volumes of e-waste.
The United Nations Global E-waste Monitor documented 62 million tonnes produced in 2022, representing an increase of 82 percent since 2010. For context, the report said, that’s enough to fill more than 1.5 million dump trucks: roughly enough trucks to circle the equator….