At an annual growth rate of 3 to 5 percent, global electronic waste is the fastest-growing solid waste stream in the world. According to the UN Global E-waste Monitor, global e-waste generation is increasing by 2.6 million metric tons each year, with the largest surge, 82 percent, occurring in 2022. The e-waste crisis is worsening, and the only way to combat it is through large-scale circularity. Texas recently passed a Right to Repair law, HB 2963, which took effect Sept. 1, 2026. Repair laws are a key step toward reducing e-waste by enabling device reuse. Reuse keeps used technology in the circular economy rather than reducing it to e-waste, but large-scale circularity requires collaboration among electronics designers, repair shops, and policymakers.
The Growing E-Waste Problem
Technology is growing exponentially. New models roll out each year before the previous year’s models even have a chance to decline in performance. When users purchase new devices, they throw out their old ones, or put them in drawers and forget about them. This rapid, continuous flow of purchase, use, and discard has created a global e-waste crisis with no end in sight. Electronic waste is not like food waste. It carries unique risks that increase significantly when e-waste is not disposed of responsibly.
Pollution – Electronics contain extremely hazardous lithium-ion batteries. Electronics are also manufactured with metals that leak harmful chemicals. This means that when fast tech is thrown away, it ends up in landfills where these chemicals can soak into the soil and cause water pollution.
Battery Fires – Batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, pose fire and explosion hazards due to thermal runaways. A thermal runaway occurs when a cell is punctured, which can easily happen if a device is damaged or swollen during transit. This can result in large-scale battery chemical fires that may take days, if not weeks, to extinguish.
Value Loss – Many companies end up storing decommissioned assets in storage closets or warehouses where they become afterthoughts. Idle assets increase security risks by leaving enterprise data on used assets vulnerable to theft. Additionally, asset value plummets immediately, and storing assets deteriorates reuse value and robs enterprises of potential revenue.
Large-Scale Circularity as the Key to Combat E-Waste
Device reuse plays a key role in the circular economy. The world currently operates in a linear economy, where goods are purchased, used, and discarded. For electronics, this results in excess e-waste spilling into landfills and municipal waste streams, causing pollution and battery fires. A circular economy follows a reduce, reuse, and recycle model, keeping goods in use rather than discarding them. For electronics, reuse is a major factor in e-waste reduction. Reusing devices reduces demand for new electronics, which in turn reduces the need to mine new materials. Reduced device production decreases carbon emissions and improves air quality. The problem is that technology is deployed so rapidly that circularity must scale to keep up, and collaboration is the only way to do that.
The Design Flaw That Hinders Device Reuse
Design is the primary obstacle to device reuse. Modern tech designs prioritize thinness, compactness, and manufacturing efficiency over repairability. Commercial-grade adhesives instead of screws create a permanent bond that requires extreme heat and suction cups to dismantle. This increases the risk of device damage during the repair attempt and reduces reuse.
One example is batteries. Lithium batteries are a major challenge for the ITAD industry and repair shops because they are getting more difficult to remove without damage. Lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolytes in rigid metal cases, resulting in high density for laptops and other tools. Lithium-polymer batteries use gel or solid electrolytes in lightweight, flexible pouches, allowing thin, customizable shapes for devices such as phones and drones. However, embedded batteries are built into cells inside devices and cannot be removed, creating significant challenges for the e-waste industry.
The Repair Shop Role
Repair shops are the operational backbone of a circular economy. As the ones who do most of the heavy lifting, they provide feedback to manufacturing designers and policymakers on what is needed to make the repair process run smoothly. Tech prices are skyrocketing, and manufacturers often charge high amounts for part replacements or push device replacements. Many consumers and companies are turning to repair shops to extend device lifespan rather than purchasing new hardware. Repair shops help reduce demand for new devices, increase value, and lower overall costs. However, they can only do so if repair policies permit access to the tools they need.
Policies That Actually Contribute to Circularity
Another industry challenge that hinders circularity is policy. Big-name OEMs like Apple and Microsoft lobbied against the right to repair movement for years and have historically blocked repair policies, though they have recently shifted their stance. Design roadblocks, such as soldering and integration, sandwich layouts, and display-first entries, increase the risk of device damage and prevent third-party repair shops from repairing used devices. For years, OEMs have restricted access to the tools and information needed to fix devices, with Apple chief among them. However, the tide is changing, and more OEMs are shifting their stance. Restricted access has long been a battle for repair shops, but shifting policies mean independent repair providers have more access to spare parts, tools, and repair information.
The Collaborative Efforts Required for a Circular Economy
Large-scale circularity is possible, but it requires collaboration across these areas. It requires communication from repair shops that understand the actions needed, manufacturers that prioritize environmental needs, and policymakers who listen to feedback and create policies that contribute to a circular economy.
Design – Devices with durable, modular, and easily disassembled design. Manufacturers should lean on repair shops for real-world durability feedback and look to policymakers for design guidelines.
Repair shops – Repair shops play a crucial role in extending device lifespan, diverting e-waste from landfills, and recovering working components. They should be able to rely on designers for repairable architecture and on policymakers for legal access to parts, tools, and handbooks.
Policy makers – For large-scale circularity, policy makers must mandate design standards, lower taxes on repair services, and eliminate planned obsolescence. They should be able to rely on designers to implement engineering changes and on repair shops to build widespread infrastructure.
This cohesive strategy lets each area contribute a critical component while leaning on the other two for specific feedback and guidance.
What Can You Do?
While manufacturers, repair shops, and policymakers will drive large-scale change, companies can also combat the e-waste crisis by partnering with certified ITAD providers for a secure end-of-use plan for retired or decommissioned IT assets. ITAD vendors offer services that support circularity, including data erasure, device repair, refurbishment, resale, parts harvesting, materials recovery, and recycling.
Contribute to the global circularity goal by partnering with an ITAD provider focused on circularity via reuse. Contact HOBI today for more information on the ITAD reuse process at 877-814-2620 or sales@hobi.com.