Wearable Device Carbon Footprint: A Growing Climate Factor

A thin patch on the skin measures blood sugar. A small sensor on the wrist monitors blood pressure, around the clock. Wearable medical technology appears clean, quiet and⁤ unobtrusive. It promises‍ safety in everyday life⁢ and relief for doctors. Hardly anyone associates these devices with mining, ‍energy consumption⁤ or waste. But that’s exactly where their other side begins.

Even ​today, each individual wearable ⁤leaves a measurable‌ carbon footprint. Depending on ⁢the ​device, between 1.1 and 6.1 kilograms of CO2 equivalents ⁣are generated – calculated from raw material extraction to disposal. This corresponds to a car‍ journey of 25 to 30 kilometers. Extrapolated⁢ to millions of devices, this creates a relevant climate problem.

The ​carbon footprint ‌of wearables is growing faster then expected

By 2050, the⁣ global ⁣use of medical wearables could increase by a factor of 42. Then almost two billion devices would be produced each ⁢year. this magnitude is described in an analysis published in the journal Nature and developed by researchers at ‌the University of Chicago and Cornell University.

For 2050 alone, the authors expect around 3.4 million tons of CO2 equivalents.In addition, there is electronic waste and environmental toxins from production. Small medical devices are ⁣reaching a dimension⁣ otherwise attributed only to large‌ industries.

It’s not the housing, but the electronics that drive up emissions

Surprisingly, ⁣the largest part of ⁣the emissions does not come from the housing. The‌ majority of the climate impact is due to the electronics – especially ⁤printed ⁤circuit boards ⁤and integrated circuits.⁤ They control the devices, ‍require energy-intensive manufacturing and rely on resource-intensive mining.

“More than 70 percent of ​the carbon footprint of a ⁣device comes from the printed circuit boards,” explains study author Bozhi Tian, Professor of chemistry ‌at the⁢ University of Chicago.