Innovative Paths to an Electronics-Waste Solution
- Karl Selle
- 5d
- 7 min read
Updated: 20h
Emerging Tools and Policies Grapple with a Toxic Problem
A pile of discarded smartphones, laptops, and tangled cords might look like just a heap of trash. However, it's emblematic of the world’s fastest-growing waste stream: electronic waste (e-waste).
According to the Global E-waste Monitor, the world generated 62 million tons of e-waste in 2022, and that number is projected to soar further as people’s appetite for devices expands. Much of this waste is improperly handled, leaching toxic metals and plastics into soil and water, especially in regions where devices are dismantled or burned by hand.
Companies and researchers are even exploring “urban mining”—digging valuable metals out of old landfills.
At the same time, these cast-off gadgets contain vast untapped wealth: gold, silver, copper, cobalt, and rare earth minerals that could power the clean energy transition. Increasingly, companies and researchers are even exploring “urban mining”—digging valuable metals out of old landfills and stockpiles instead of pulling them from the earth.
The scale of the problem is daunting. But emerging solutions suggest a hopeful path. Policies like the Right to Repair, companies designing more modular products, innovations like using robots to recycle electronics, and new tools such as digital product passports (DPPs) all point toward a circular economy in which electronics are not disposable but recyclable.
These terms may sound new, so here’s what they mean. The Right to Repair ensures that consumers and independent shops can get the same parts and manuals that manufacturers give their own repair networks—something that is not the norm today. Most manufacturers keep these tightly controlled, which means if a device breaks, a person often must go through an expensive official channel or replace the device altogether. Robotic recycling refers to using machines instead of people to safely dismantle gadgets for their precious metals. And digital product passports are electronic records that track what materials a product contains and where they came from, so they can be reused or recycled more easily.
A Global Movement Gains Ground
At its core, the Right to Repair is about fairness and sustainability. It gives people and independent shops access to the same parts, tools, and manuals that manufacturers reserve for their own networks. Without this access, perfectly fixable devices end up in landfills.
[Right to Repair] gives people and independent shops access to the same parts, tools, and manuals that manufacturers reserve for their own networks.
Across the United States, momentum is accelerating. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) reports that dozens of states introduced Right to Repair bills in 2023 alone. These cover a wide range of products: agricultural equipment, consumer electronics, medical devices, and even appliances. Colorado, for instance, passed a groundbreaking law for agricultural equipment, ensuring that farmers—not just dealerships—can fix their own tractors. According to NCSL, this wave of bills reflects consumer frustration with high repair costs and short product lifespans.
Advocates like Repair.org frame the issue as one of consumer rights and environmental necessity. Their policy objectives call for universal access to parts, tools, software, and documentation—the basic ingredients of repair. Without these, products are designed for obsolescence instead of longevity.
Minnesota’s Bold Step
One of the clearest examples is Minnesota. In 2023, the state passed the Digital Fair Repair Act, codified in Statute 325E.72, which took effect on July 1, 2024. According to Reuse Minnesota, the law requires manufacturers to make documentation, parts, and tools available to consumers and independent repair shops for nearly any device with a microchip, from smartphones to refrigerators.
There are caveats: Cars, medical devices, farm equipment, video game consoles, and power tools are exempt. Still, this is one of the most comprehensive state laws to date. As Reuse Minnesota explains, it ensures that within 60 days of a product’s first sale, manufacturers must provide manuals, service codes, replacement parts, and repair software—on fair and reasonable terms. Enforcement falls to the state’s attorney general.
Consumer advocates stress, as NCSL reports, that Minnesota’s law is a test case. If enforced vigorously, it could drive down repair costs, extend product lifespans, and reduce e-waste flows. Other states are already watching closely.
The repair movement is not only legislative but cultural. Organizations like iFixit have published tens of thousands of free repair guides, from iPhones to espresso machines. Their advocacy arm notes that Right to Repair bills have now been introduced in all 50 US states. iFixit also rates products for repairability, shining a spotlight on manufacturers who design for longevity versus those who build for obsolescence.
Repair cafés—community workshops where volunteers help fix devices—reinforce this culture. They not only divert waste but also shift mindsets: Repair is empowerment, not inconvenience. Repair.org points out that community repair boosts environmental awareness and builds social cohesion.
Internationally, the movement is gaining traction. WIPO Magazine highlights how repair intersects with intellectual property, software locks, and competition law. Countries in Europe have already passed rules requiring manufacturers to design appliances for easier repair and to provide spare parts for up to 10 years.
Industry Resistance and Policy Pushback
Of course, not everyone is on board. Industry groups warn about safety, cybersecurity, and intellectual property. The auto industry in particular has fought to limit repair access, but even here, cracks are forming. The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) runs a campaign titled “Protect Your Right to Repair,” arguing that vehicle owners should have access to diagnostics and parts. As MEMA explains, bipartisan support has made auto repair rights one of the most advanced areas of this movement.
Manufacturers of consumer electronics remain more resistant. Watchdogs like Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) show that enforcement is already a challenge: Many companies still withhold parts and manuals even after laws are passed. PIRG’s July 2025 Leaders & Laggards II report found that major tech brands continue to make repairs unnecessarily difficult, highlighting the gap between legislation and implementation. As PIRG notes, even new laws can fall short without strong oversight.
Repair is essential, but it’s only part of the solution. Ultimately, products themselves must be designed to last. Fortunately, a new generation of companies is leading the way.
Fairphone has built a reputation for radical modularity. Its newest model, the Fairphone 6, earned a 10/10 repairability score from iFixit. Consumers can easily replace the battery, screen, or camera module with a screwdriver. According to Fairphone’s Impact Report, these design choices avoid tons of e-waste and create fair-wage supply chains. Fairphone’s model demonstrates that designing for longevity is not only possible but profitable.
Framework Laptop has done the same for computers. Its latest iteration, the Framework 12, also scored 10/10 on iFixit. Every part is labeled, repair guides are free, and upgrades (like new motherboards) can be swapped in without buying a new device.
Closing the Loop: Recycling and Urban Mining
Even with the best repair policies and modular designs, electronics will eventually reach the end of their life. That’s where innovations in recycling come in.
Apple’s “Daisy” robot is a striking example. According to Apple, Daisy can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour, extracting rare earth magnets, cobalt from batteries, and gold from circuit boards. Apple claims these materials can then be fed into new devices, reducing the need for virgin mining. As Apple highlights, such recycling innovations are central to their “Apple 2030” carbon goals.
Researchers are also advancing automated disassembly. A review in Frontiers in Robotics and AI titled “The Future of Robotic Disassembly: A systematic review of techniques and applications in the age of AI” shows how using robots to recycle electronics can reduce worker exposure to toxins while boosting recovery rates.
Meanwhile, urban mining is gaining momentum. The Chemical & Engineering News feature “Electronic waste is a gold mine waiting to be tapped” argues that tapping e-waste stockpiles could rival conventional mining in scale. In addition, a 2025 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that “flash Joule heating” can recover precious metals from e-waste with 80 to 500 times less energy than traditional smelting.
Policy for a Circular Future
Policy is catching up to these innovations. The European Union is rolling out the digital product passport as part of its Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. The DPP will track materials throughout a product’s life cycle, making it easier to repair, refurbish, and recycle. As the EU Commission explains, it’s like a digital ID card for products that shows what they’re made of and how they can be serviced. Analyses by think tanks like the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) confirm that these systems can transform not just electronics but also batteries, textiles, and construction materials. CEPS’ work suggests DPPs could become the backbone of Europe’s circular economy. Meanwhile, the United States is behind on such measures.
E-waste is not just an environmental crisis; it is also a justice issue. Informal e-waste dumps in Ghana, India, and elsewhere expose workers and children to toxic smoke and heavy metals. Meanwhile, underserved communities in wealthy nations lack affordable access to technology.
Here, repair and refurbishment intersect with equity. Groups like Wisetekmarket and the Digital Poverty Alliance stress that refurbishing devices and reselling them at lower cost helps bridge the digital divide while cutting waste. Social enterprises already refurbish laptops for schools, creating green jobs in the process. According to 4thbin.com, recycling e-waste generates tens of thousands of skilled jobs for dismantling electronic devices, recovering precious metals, and repurposing parts.
The e-waste problem is vast, but the solutions are coming into focus:
Policymakers must strengthen and enforce repair laws, following the lead of states like Minnesota and global frameworks like the EU’s Digital Product Passport.
Manufacturers must embrace design for repairability, as shown by pioneers like Fairphone and Framework.
Consumers can support companies that value longevity, use iFixit’s repair guides, and choose refurbished devices.
Communities can host repair cafés and demand accountability from local leaders.
As the Global E-waste Monitor warns, e-waste is growing five times faster than documented recycling. Yet with the momentum of the Right to Repair movement, the innovation of using robots to recycle electronics, and the vision of circular policy, people can begin to bend the curve.
*Karl Selle is a freelance writer who lives in Bowie, Maryland, USA.
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