Used memory chips are creeping into budget phones, and it could get worse
Reballed modules are expected to make up 4% of mobile RAM this year, and as much as 9% in 2027
Scientists develop a way to restore aging EV batteries without breaking them down into raw materials
Cornell's DEER process removes performance-robbing buildup
A hobbyist built a working computer out of 460 vacuum tubes, and it needs 15 minutes to warm up
The Tube Computer MK3 runs an 8-bit design on 460 Soviet-era 6N3P vacuum tubes
South Korea moves to curb the meteoritic rise of DRAM and PC hardware prices
The South Korean government wants to help users get PC hardware even if they cannot afford newer systems
The world's first transatlantic fiber cable is being pulled off the ocean floor
Before Starlink, there was TAT-8
The city of Los Angeles votes to ban single-use printer cartridges
Targeting printer waste, but DRM lockouts remain the bigger problem
Study finds US could replace key mineral imports by recycling mine waste
America's critical minerals are already in its mines but recovery remains the hurdle
Western Digital and Microsoft launch HDD recycling program to recover rare earths from e-waste
The recycling initiative recovers 90% of rare earths from data center hard drives
Waste fires are on the rise largely thanks to the lithium-ion batteries in vape pens
Apparently, vaping is a literal dumpster fire
Ingenious DIY setup powers home for 8 years with over 1,000 repurposed laptop batteries
Repurposing e-waste on a sustainable power solution
Microsoft develops GreenSKU framework to limit environmental cost of server hardware
Leveraging memory pooling and RAID arrays
Amazon has replaced plastic air pillows with crumpled paper in its packaging worldwide
It still uses plastics in some packaging, though
Microsoft gets smart about HDD recycling with robots that extract valuable metals
Surgical robots extract reusable rare-earth magnets
Houston resident uses AirTag to reveal troubling truths about the city's recycling efforts
Yet another example of the creative ways this tracking device is being used
Researchers unlock cheap way to vaporize plastic and use it to make more plastic
Why it matters: All that packaging we've treated as disposable may finally be reborn. Researchers have cracked the code for turning plastic back into the building blocks to make new plastics. It could revolutionize recycling, which studies have shown is broken.
A saltwater-soluble polymer shows promise as a recyclable 3D printing ink
A pinch of salt goes a long way
British Royal Mint launches initiative to extract gold from electronic waste
The world's first e-waste processing facility that works at room temperature
Amazon is replacing all plastic air pillows with crumpled paper in its packaging
In a nutshell: Have you noticed recently that the plastic air pillows Amazon used to stuff into its fragile deliveries have been disappearing, and replaced with paper filler? It's part of the company's environmental push that will see the use of the pillows completely eliminated by the end of the year.
This machine weaves gelatin-based clothes you can dissolve after use
Forward-looking: So, you buy a new shirt, wear it a bunch of times until you get sick of it, and then it ends up getting tossed or relegated to the back of your closet. What if instead, you could just dissolve that old shirt into a liquid and use that to make a fresh new one? Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a way to do exactly that.
Telcos happen to be sitting on a gold mine of buried copper wire
Companies just need to start digging it
Researchers create a new circuit board material that can be easily recycled
A hot potato: Printed circuit boards are ubiquitous; they are used in nearly all electronic devices and constitute a significant portion of the electronic waste accumulating in landfills. A new polymer-based material could render PCBs much more environmentally friendly and facilitate endless recycling.
E-waste growing at five times the rate of recycling, UN report finds
It's predicted that we'll generate 82 million tons of e-waste in 2030
Researchers warn that Windows 11 restrictions could send 240 million computers to landfills
Vigorous recycling, repurposing, and alternative operating systems will likely take care of most of that waste
Used server DDR4 RAM chips are being recycled for consumer kits
That sweet deal on a no-name DDR4 kit may involve used silicon
MycelioTronics: using fungal skin to grow biodegradable PCB board
Fungal mycelium protection could pave the way for truly biodegradable electronics