Taking a Step Towards Sustainable Tech

The Problem of E-Waste

Within the last 50 years, there has been an increasing concern about the effect of human behaviour on the world.

Electronic waste (E Waste) is the fastest-growing form of waste, and it is a major cause of climate change. Statistics show that 57.4 Mt (Million Metric Tonnes) of e-waste was generated in 2021 globally. The total is growing by an average of 2 Mt a year. A large amount of e-waste is produced, but only 17.4% of it is recycled properly.

Our Move to Sustainable Technology

To combat this issue, Mother Technologies has been working to reduce our environmental impact through e-waste recycling. With hardware at the heart of our business, we knew we needed to take action to address the e-waste problem. To play our part, we have been working with The Edinburgh Remakery.

The Edinburgh Remakery strives to protect the environment and promote a lifestyle of sustainability without generating e-waste. To tackle this, The Edinburgh Remakery is promoting a circular economy to extend the life cycle of electronic items. In 2021, 73% of donated electronics were repaired rather than thrown away, with refurbishing, reusing, and recycling also being utilized. Disposing of any items is their very last resort.

The Edinburgh Remakery also works to combat digital poverty and social isolation among underprivileged groups in addition to e-waste. Their Tech Gifting Project aims to fight digital poverty by giving away fixed electronics to those who need it. They give laptops, computers, and smartphones to families and individuals who otherwise wouldn’t manage to afford them. In 2021 alone the Edinburgh Remakery helped 412 people out of digital poverty.