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Five signs sustainability is (finally) disrupting the consumer tech industry

We reflect on the success of Fairphone, the world’s first modular smartphone, and examines the progress made in the industry since its first release.

Eddie Hamilton
7 min read

We recently spotted a BBC article about Fairphone, the ethical smartphone company. Back in 2015, seymourpowell and Fairphone teamed up to bring the world's first modular smartphone to life and now, seven years later, it's great to see that they're still leading the way with socially and ecologically sustainable electronics.

This got us thinking: when it comes to sustainability, how has the consumer electronics industry evolved since this release? What are the key developments in legislation, innovation and consumer trends over the past seven years? If Fairphone helped to kickstart this movement, then where is it heading?

Before we jump in, let’s remind ourselves of the sustainability challenges this industry is facing. There are a few important topics which I will briefly outline, but this is by no means an exhaustive analysis.

The first challenge is the rapidly growing flood of e-waste and the immense social and environmental toll it represents. There are a couple of drivers that have led to e-waste taking top spot as ‘fastest growing waste stream’, globally.

Factors like shorter product life cycles, scarce repair options and higher consumption rates are fuelling this waste stream. The shorter product life cycle is an interesting topic. Planned obsolescence (the idea of deliberately shortening a product’s lifespan by designing a failure event into the product) in fact stems from the desire to combat a humanitarian crisis. Bernard London, a prominent economist from the Great Depression days, advocated that planned obsolescence would increase consumption, stimulate economies and help starving families out of dire situations. Today, that same brilliant idea is implemented to make iPhones a bit sluggish after a few years of use – just ask Chilean iPhone users who successfully sued Apple for $3.4 million…

Fairphone 2 by Seymourpowell

But e-waste is down to more than electronics being disposed of. The quantity of electronics produced is also increasing. This is due to higher levels of disposable income, urbanisation and industrialisation, collectively enabling more people to own washing machines, smart phones and hover boards. Faster production rates, lower production costs.

Of course, e-waste is the downstream problem. But upstream, the realms of mining, manufacturing and ethical supply chain management also represent a colossal challenge. It takes 2.2 million litres of water to mine 1 ton of lithium (the key ingredient for lithium-ion batteries). That’s roughly a 2000:1 waste to product ratio, by weight. Have a look at the title image and you’ll see what 2.2 million litres of toxic water from lithium mining looks like – curiously beautiful, as it turns out. Add this story up for all of the precious rare earth elements and metals which make up a smart phone, and you begin to appreciate why manufacturing a typical 200g smartphone can produce 86kg of waste material.

‘Precious’ and ‘rare’ are important words to bear in mind here. The minerals which allow products to vibrate, respond to touch and speak to satellites are unsurprisingly of great value and in rapidly limiting supply. With this comes conflict over mines, child labour and horrifically unethical supply chains. These industrial systems must transition from extractive to regenerative to start undoing all that damage. This means actively seeking to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders involved, from mine to factory to shop shelf and beyond. Which is exactly what the ‘Fair’ in Fairphone means.

Ok, doom and gloom over. Here’s a roundup of our top five sustainability developments in the world of consumer tech, following the release of the Fairphone 2.

1. Right to Repair

Introduced in the UK on July 8th 2021, the ‘Right to Repair’ law legally requires manufacturers to make spare parts available to consumers and third-party companies. The legislation is aimed at extending the life cycle of a range of devices and appliances by up to 10 years. For consumers, it currently covers dishwashers, washing machines/dryers, refrigeration appliances and televisions/ electronic displays. Non-consumer products such as electric motors, retail refrigerators, light sources (and more!) are also included. These are some top offender categories but, of course, we hope the law will add more products to this list in due course. Manufacturers would be wise to proactively prepare for such an eventuality.

2. France Repair Scheme

Any electronics’ aficionado worth their salt will know of wiki-based, repair guide/ online community site, ifixit: the go-to place for guides, materials and tools when repairing domestic electronics. ifixit publish repairability scores for products and France have recently written a similar scoring system into law – the first country in Europe to do so. Current categories include smartphones, laptops, washing machines, TVs and lawnmowers. Manufacturers must self-grade their products using a government issued spread sheet (which you can view on the ifixit website).

3. More Modular Firsts

Following the first modular smart phone is the first modular laptop, Frame. Pitched to consumers as a laptop designed to last 10 years, the Frame laptop has easily upgradable and modular components, as well as a community run marketplace for buying / reselling parts. The laptop itself has received mixed reviews online, touted for its great sustainability credentials and critiqued for its approach to upgradability. Other sustainability-minded modular consumer electronics include Gerrard Street Headphones and the brilliantly named HP Elite x2 G4 tablet.

4. Apple Announces Self-Repair

Sensing the inevitable, Apple have taken an unpredicted step forward. Late last year, it announced that parts, tools and guides for repair would be available to individual consumers (only for their latest iPhones). There are reasons to be both surprised and unsurprised by this. Historically, Apple have held true to a ‘closed box’ ethos with their products. Users must not tinker, nor mess with the inside of such a beautifully crafted device. However, behind the scenes, Apple have been designing for repairability for years. iPhones have steadily become faster and easier to repair or refurbish by a certified professional, in order to facilitate their buy-back scheme and in store repair. The difference now is that they’re designing for consumer access to this process, unleashing the tools and knowhow for global iPhone users to flex their tech-savvy muscles.

Library of things by Seymourpowell

5. New Models of Use & Ownership

We’ve covered legislation and product innovation, but how about new business models? To reduce the environmental toll of consumer electronics we don’t always need a radical redesign of products, but perhaps just a rethink on the consumption model. Apple have been doing this with their steady shift to service subscriptions like Music, TV and Fitness. To further shift away from our default ‘linear’ consumption model, more and more businesses are favouring access over ownership with rent-able and share-able products. This is right at the heart of Circular Economy thinking. Models like this provide affordable access to high quality products for those that might not be able to fork out on the top shelf stuff. Admittedly renting is not a new idea… it is, however, having a resurgence. Some examples include Grover (tech rental), Lime Bike (e-bike rental), Fat Lama (the Airbnb of ‘stuff’), Gerrard Street (leasable headphones) and Library of Things (high-street product rental). The latter we are particularly proud of, as we helped define the first self-service-thing-rental site in Crystal Palace.

Eddie Hamilton is an Industrial Designer and Sustainability Lead at Seymourpowell

Sustainability
Technology
Sustainability
arrow icon
Return to LAB

Five signs sustainability is (finally) disrupting the consumer tech industry

We reflect on the success of Fairphone, the world’s first modular smartphone, and examines the progress made in the industry since its first release.

Eddie Hamilton
7 min read

We recently spotted a BBC article about Fairphone, the ethical smartphone company. Back in 2015, seymourpowell and Fairphone teamed up to bring the world's first modular smartphone to life and now, seven years later, it's great to see that they're still leading the way with socially and ecologically sustainable electronics.

This got us thinking: when it comes to sustainability, how has the consumer electronics industry evolved since this release? What are the key developments in legislation, innovation and consumer trends over the past seven years? If Fairphone helped to kickstart this movement, then where is it heading?

Before we jump in, let’s remind ourselves of the sustainability challenges this industry is facing. There are a few important topics which I will briefly outline, but this is by no means an exhaustive analysis.

The first challenge is the rapidly growing flood of e-waste and the immense social and environmental toll it represents. There are a couple of drivers that have led to e-waste taking top spot as ‘fastest growing waste stream’, globally.

Factors like shorter product life cycles, scarce repair options and higher consumption rates are fuelling this waste stream. The shorter product life cycle is an interesting topic. Planned obsolescence (the idea of deliberately shortening a product’s lifespan by designing a failure event into the product) in fact stems from the desire to combat a humanitarian crisis. Bernard London, a prominent economist from the Great Depression days, advocated that planned obsolescence would increase consumption, stimulate economies and help starving families out of dire situations. Today, that same brilliant idea is implemented to make iPhones a bit sluggish after a few years of use – just ask Chilean iPhone users who successfully sued Apple for $3.4 million…

Fairphone 2 by Seymourpowell

But e-waste is down to more than electronics being disposed of. The quantity of electronics produced is also increasing. This is due to higher levels of disposable income, urbanisation and industrialisation, collectively enabling more people to own washing machines, smart phones and hover boards. Faster production rates, lower production costs.

Of course, e-waste is the downstream problem. But upstream, the realms of mining, manufacturing and ethical supply chain management also represent a colossal challenge. It takes 2.2 million litres of water to mine 1 ton of lithium (the key ingredient for lithium-ion batteries). That’s roughly a 2000:1 waste to product ratio, by weight. Have a look at the title image and you’ll see what 2.2 million litres of toxic water from lithium mining looks like – curiously beautiful, as it turns out. Add this story up for all of the precious rare earth elements and metals which make up a smart phone, and you begin to appreciate why manufacturing a typical 200g smartphone can produce 86kg of waste material.

‘Precious’ and ‘rare’ are important words to bear in mind here. The minerals which allow products to vibrate, respond to touch and speak to satellites are unsurprisingly of great value and in rapidly limiting supply. With this comes conflict over mines, child labour and horrifically unethical supply chains. These industrial systems must transition from extractive to regenerative to start undoing all that damage. This means actively seeking to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders involved, from mine to factory to shop shelf and beyond. Which is exactly what the ‘Fair’ in Fairphone means.

Ok, doom and gloom over. Here’s a roundup of our top five sustainability developments in the world of consumer tech, following the release of the Fairphone 2.

1. Right to Repair

Introduced in the UK on July 8th 2021, the ‘Right to Repair’ law legally requires manufacturers to make spare parts available to consumers and third-party companies. The legislation is aimed at extending the life cycle of a range of devices and appliances by up to 10 years. For consumers, it currently covers dishwashers, washing machines/dryers, refrigeration appliances and televisions/ electronic displays. Non-consumer products such as electric motors, retail refrigerators, light sources (and more!) are also included. These are some top offender categories but, of course, we hope the law will add more products to this list in due course. Manufacturers would be wise to proactively prepare for such an eventuality.

2. France Repair Scheme

Any electronics’ aficionado worth their salt will know of wiki-based, repair guide/ online community site, ifixit: the go-to place for guides, materials and tools when repairing domestic electronics. ifixit publish repairability scores for products and France have recently written a similar scoring system into law – the first country in Europe to do so. Current categories include smartphones, laptops, washing machines, TVs and lawnmowers. Manufacturers must self-grade their products using a government issued spread sheet (which you can view on the ifixit website).

3. More Modular Firsts

Following the first modular smart phone is the first modular laptop, Frame. Pitched to consumers as a laptop designed to last 10 years, the Frame laptop has easily upgradable and modular components, as well as a community run marketplace for buying / reselling parts. The laptop itself has received mixed reviews online, touted for its great sustainability credentials and critiqued for its approach to upgradability. Other sustainability-minded modular consumer electronics include Gerrard Street Headphones and the brilliantly named HP Elite x2 G4 tablet.

4. Apple Announces Self-Repair

Sensing the inevitable, Apple have taken an unpredicted step forward. Late last year, it announced that parts, tools and guides for repair would be available to individual consumers (only for their latest iPhones). There are reasons to be both surprised and unsurprised by this. Historically, Apple have held true to a ‘closed box’ ethos with their products. Users must not tinker, nor mess with the inside of such a beautifully crafted device. However, behind the scenes, Apple have been designing for repairability for years. iPhones have steadily become faster and easier to repair or refurbish by a certified professional, in order to facilitate their buy-back scheme and in store repair. The difference now is that they’re designing for consumer access to this process, unleashing the tools and knowhow for global iPhone users to flex their tech-savvy muscles.

Library of things by Seymourpowell

5. New Models of Use & Ownership

We’ve covered legislation and product innovation, but how about new business models? To reduce the environmental toll of consumer electronics we don’t always need a radical redesign of products, but perhaps just a rethink on the consumption model. Apple have been doing this with their steady shift to service subscriptions like Music, TV and Fitness. To further shift away from our default ‘linear’ consumption model, more and more businesses are favouring access over ownership with rent-able and share-able products. This is right at the heart of Circular Economy thinking. Models like this provide affordable access to high quality products for those that might not be able to fork out on the top shelf stuff. Admittedly renting is not a new idea… it is, however, having a resurgence. Some examples include Grover (tech rental), Lime Bike (e-bike rental), Fat Lama (the Airbnb of ‘stuff’), Gerrard Street (leasable headphones) and Library of Things (high-street product rental). The latter we are particularly proud of, as we helped define the first self-service-thing-rental site in Crystal Palace.

Indicators
Mireille Steinhage
Solar Empowerment

In an effort to bring renewable energy to those who need it, design graduate, Mireille Steinhage, has invented a self-heating, solar-powered blanket which is made from conductive yarn.

Studio Floris Schoonderbeek and Sweco
Local Food Systems

The Circle Farming project, from Studio Floris Schoonderbeek and Sweco, provides a comprehensive solution to bridge the gap between urban and rural food production. This community revolves around agricultural-circled fields and provides housing, nature, and recreation on the fringes of the green space.

Sunne by Marjan van Aubel
Designing with Sunlight

Sunne, by Marjan van Aubel, is a solar-powered, indoor light which stores, produces, and captures light. It harvests energy from the sun during the day: at night, it brings light inside.

Luma Arles Arts centre
No Space for Waste

Designed by Frank Gehry, the Luma Arles Arts centre in France has been clad with a progressive palette of locally produced, natural materials, including salt, algae, and sunflower waste.

Syntropia Re-FREAM
From Seed to Shoe

The Syntropia Re-FREAM project, initiated by Sophia Guggenberger and Eugenia Morpurgo, explores the regeneration of ecosystems through circular manufacturing, from 'seed to shoe'. The shoe's framework is unique, designed to be flexible and modular, made from bio-based materials harvested from one polycultural field.

Indicators
Nowhere
Combatting Inequity

A Metaverse meet-up platform has been designed to combat social inequalities which exist on other Web 3.0 platforms. Nowhere developers have designed the platform to remove barriers to access: you don't need an NFT or crypto wallet to join, thus reducing financial and technical requirements. The 3D voice chat feature increases the volume of a user's voice as they move closer to you, making contact more authentic and frictionless.

Soul Machines
The 'Digital Workforce'

Soul Machines is a personalized, AI-based simulation service with a Human OS platform. It features a patented 'Digital Brain' which helps deliver human and machine collaboration. It's designed to democratise the service industry, with digital 'people' placed in the WHO and New Zealand police.

SenseGlovel
Meta Touch

Wireless gloves from Dutch start-up, SenseGlove, let users feel the size, weight, texture and density of virtual objects when worn with VR headsets.

Institute of Digital Fashion
Avatar Representation

Research by Institute of Digital Fashion shows that people want more choices for diverse representation in online spaces. There are clear demands from consumers for: better accommodations (including text to accompany audio) and avatar customisation which takes into account bodily differences.

Indicators
Miele
Tech Repair

At the Salone del Mobile 2022, Miele's 'Longevity Lab' used an exploded installation to communicate the brand's inherited value around longevity. The brand celebrated their policy of keeping spare parts available for fifteen years after a home appliance is discontinued, encouraging everyone to care for and repair their home equipment.

Yamaha x ECAL
Reimagined Touchpoints

In a project with ECAL, Yamaha proposes an alternative approach to physical interaction with sound-play devices. Incorporating AI, live-streamed performances and ASMR, the students designed six new music players and accessories which offer a novel music listening experience, as well as physical appeal.

Paul Coenen
Mono Material

Paul Coenen folds a single sheet of steel to create furniture which is designed to be passed from generation to generation. The mono-material furniture and homeware collection offers superior durability through the use of stainless steel without the need for added coatings, adhesives or fasteners.

Disruptive Berlin
Anti-impulsive Consumerism

Disruptive Berlin offers its community an alternative lifestyle and perspective when it comes to consumerism. With an exclusive password-protected shopping area on their site and Instagram channel, they encourage consumers to question their potentially 'impulsive' decisions before buying new/ second-hand clothing.

Indicators
Bethany Williams
Stronger Together

Bethany Williams is building a practice that seeks to challenge the traditional fashion industry. From garments made from recycled book waste to collaborations with community projects, her work tackles social and environmental issues.

Yinka Ilori
Bright Spaces

Yinka Ilori opens his first a pop up retail store in Shoreditch. Featuring his signature colourful, bright motifs, the space is inspired by West African architecture and features his homeware products. The aim of the space is to explore how we can help customers connect, experience and discover.

Brothers Fearon Fabrication
Playful Furniture

Australian studio Brothers Fearon Fabrication creates funky and tactile aluminium furniture pieces, some with whimsical character faces, showcasing pure fun and enjoyment.

Modibodi
Menstruation for All

Modibodi's new All Gender Collection brings non-binary and transgender men into the conversation around menstruation. The campaign brings inclusive design to the forefront, through the LGBTQ+IA colour palette, and accessible design for all body types and genders.

Indicators
Jonathan Bocca
Curious Forms

Jonathan Bocca uses everyday materials (like paper) to craft strange animal-esque objects. Bridging the gap between sculpture and furniture, his otherworldly pieces take on a personality of their own, pushing the boundaries of traditional forms.

Strange Clay
Expect the Unexpected

Full of weird and wonderful delights, the Strange Clay Exhibition at the Hayward Gallery illustrates the tactile, sensual medium of clay and its endless possibilities: from fantastical creatures and uncanny representations of the everyday to expending the perception of ceramic objects.

Dopamine Land
Dopamine Land

A multi-sensory experience which combines media, technology and play, all in one place. It's an interactive museum which channels the limitless imagination of your inner child into reality.

Ka! Empathogenics
Edible Trips

Ka! Empathogenics are chews which are designed to help users handle moments of stress. It's the first ever natural empathogenic supplement, containing botanicals like Kanna, a South African psychoactive herb, which helps to boost energy, focus and creativity.

Eddie Hamilton is an Industrial Designer and Sustainability Lead at Seymourpowell

Sustainability
Technology
Sustainability
arrow icon
Return to LAB

Five signs sustainability is (finally) disrupting the consumer tech industry

We reflect on the success of Fairphone, the world’s first modular smartphone, and examines the progress made in the industry since its first release.

Eddie Hamilton
7 min read

We recently spotted a BBC article about Fairphone, the ethical smartphone company. Back in 2015, seymourpowell and Fairphone teamed up to bring the world's first modular smartphone to life and now, seven years later, it's great to see that they're still leading the way with socially and ecologically sustainable electronics.

This got us thinking: when it comes to sustainability, how has the consumer electronics industry evolved since this release? What are the key developments in legislation, innovation and consumer trends over the past seven years? If Fairphone helped to kickstart this movement, then where is it heading?

Before we jump in, let’s remind ourselves of the sustainability challenges this industry is facing. There are a few important topics which I will briefly outline, but this is by no means an exhaustive analysis.

The first challenge is the rapidly growing flood of e-waste and the immense social and environmental toll it represents. There are a couple of drivers that have led to e-waste taking top spot as ‘fastest growing waste stream’, globally.

Factors like shorter product life cycles, scarce repair options and higher consumption rates are fuelling this waste stream. The shorter product life cycle is an interesting topic. Planned obsolescence (the idea of deliberately shortening a product’s lifespan by designing a failure event into the product) in fact stems from the desire to combat a humanitarian crisis. Bernard London, a prominent economist from the Great Depression days, advocated that planned obsolescence would increase consumption, stimulate economies and help starving families out of dire situations. Today, that same brilliant idea is implemented to make iPhones a bit sluggish after a few years of use – just ask Chilean iPhone users who successfully sued Apple for $3.4 million…

Fairphone 2 by Seymourpowell

But e-waste is down to more than electronics being disposed of. The quantity of electronics produced is also increasing. This is due to higher levels of disposable income, urbanisation and industrialisation, collectively enabling more people to own washing machines, smart phones and hover boards. Faster production rates, lower production costs.

Of course, e-waste is the downstream problem. But upstream, the realms of mining, manufacturing and ethical supply chain management also represent a colossal challenge. It takes 2.2 million litres of water to mine 1 ton of lithium (the key ingredient for lithium-ion batteries). That’s roughly a 2000:1 waste to product ratio, by weight. Have a look at the title image and you’ll see what 2.2 million litres of toxic water from lithium mining looks like – curiously beautiful, as it turns out. Add this story up for all of the precious rare earth elements and metals which make up a smart phone, and you begin to appreciate why manufacturing a typical 200g smartphone can produce 86kg of waste material.

‘Precious’ and ‘rare’ are important words to bear in mind here. The minerals which allow products to vibrate, respond to touch and speak to satellites are unsurprisingly of great value and in rapidly limiting supply. With this comes conflict over mines, child labour and horrifically unethical supply chains. These industrial systems must transition from extractive to regenerative to start undoing all that damage. This means actively seeking to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders involved, from mine to factory to shop shelf and beyond. Which is exactly what the ‘Fair’ in Fairphone means.

Ok, doom and gloom over. Here’s a roundup of our top five sustainability developments in the world of consumer tech, following the release of the Fairphone 2.

1. Right to Repair

Introduced in the UK on July 8th 2021, the ‘Right to Repair’ law legally requires manufacturers to make spare parts available to consumers and third-party companies. The legislation is aimed at extending the life cycle of a range of devices and appliances by up to 10 years. For consumers, it currently covers dishwashers, washing machines/dryers, refrigeration appliances and televisions/ electronic displays. Non-consumer products such as electric motors, retail refrigerators, light sources (and more!) are also included. These are some top offender categories but, of course, we hope the law will add more products to this list in due course. Manufacturers would be wise to proactively prepare for such an eventuality.

2. France Repair Scheme

Any electronics’ aficionado worth their salt will know of wiki-based, repair guide/ online community site, ifixit: the go-to place for guides, materials and tools when repairing domestic electronics. ifixit publish repairability scores for products and France have recently written a similar scoring system into law – the first country in Europe to do so. Current categories include smartphones, laptops, washing machines, TVs and lawnmowers. Manufacturers must self-grade their products using a government issued spread sheet (which you can view on the ifixit website).

3. More Modular Firsts

Following the first modular smart phone is the first modular laptop, Frame. Pitched to consumers as a laptop designed to last 10 years, the Frame laptop has easily upgradable and modular components, as well as a community run marketplace for buying / reselling parts. The laptop itself has received mixed reviews online, touted for its great sustainability credentials and critiqued for its approach to upgradability. Other sustainability-minded modular consumer electronics include Gerrard Street Headphones and the brilliantly named HP Elite x2 G4 tablet.

4. Apple Announces Self-Repair

Sensing the inevitable, Apple have taken an unpredicted step forward. Late last year, it announced that parts, tools and guides for repair would be available to individual consumers (only for their latest iPhones). There are reasons to be both surprised and unsurprised by this. Historically, Apple have held true to a ‘closed box’ ethos with their products. Users must not tinker, nor mess with the inside of such a beautifully crafted device. However, behind the scenes, Apple have been designing for repairability for years. iPhones have steadily become faster and easier to repair or refurbish by a certified professional, in order to facilitate their buy-back scheme and in store repair. The difference now is that they’re designing for consumer access to this process, unleashing the tools and knowhow for global iPhone users to flex their tech-savvy muscles.

Library of things by Seymourpowell

5. New Models of Use & Ownership

We’ve covered legislation and product innovation, but how about new business models? To reduce the environmental toll of consumer electronics we don’t always need a radical redesign of products, but perhaps just a rethink on the consumption model. Apple have been doing this with their steady shift to service subscriptions like Music, TV and Fitness. To further shift away from our default ‘linear’ consumption model, more and more businesses are favouring access over ownership with rent-able and share-able products. This is right at the heart of Circular Economy thinking. Models like this provide affordable access to high quality products for those that might not be able to fork out on the top shelf stuff. Admittedly renting is not a new idea… it is, however, having a resurgence. Some examples include Grover (tech rental), Lime Bike (e-bike rental), Fat Lama (the Airbnb of ‘stuff’), Gerrard Street (leasable headphones) and Library of Things (high-street product rental). The latter we are particularly proud of, as we helped define the first self-service-thing-rental site in Crystal Palace.

Eddie Hamilton is an Industrial Designer and Sustainability Lead at Seymourpowell

Sustainability
Technology
Sustainability
arrow icon
Return to LAB

Five signs sustainability is (finally) disrupting the consumer tech industry

We reflect on the success of Fairphone, the world’s first modular smartphone, and examines the progress made in the industry since its first release.

Eddie Hamilton
7 min read
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We recently spotted a BBC article about Fairphone, the ethical smartphone company. Back in 2015, seymourpowell and Fairphone teamed up to bring the world's first modular smartphone to life and now, seven years later, it's great to see that they're still leading the way with socially and ecologically sustainable electronics.

This got us thinking: when it comes to sustainability, how has the consumer electronics industry evolved since this release? What are the key developments in legislation, innovation and consumer trends over the past seven years? If Fairphone helped to kickstart this movement, then where is it heading?

Before we jump in, let’s remind ourselves of the sustainability challenges this industry is facing. There are a few important topics which I will briefly outline, but this is by no means an exhaustive analysis.

The first challenge is the rapidly growing flood of e-waste and the immense social and environmental toll it represents. There are a couple of drivers that have led to e-waste taking top spot as ‘fastest growing waste stream’, globally.

Factors like shorter product life cycles, scarce repair options and higher consumption rates are fuelling this waste stream. The shorter product life cycle is an interesting topic. Planned obsolescence (the idea of deliberately shortening a product’s lifespan by designing a failure event into the product) in fact stems from the desire to combat a humanitarian crisis. Bernard London, a prominent economist from the Great Depression days, advocated that planned obsolescence would increase consumption, stimulate economies and help starving families out of dire situations. Today, that same brilliant idea is implemented to make iPhones a bit sluggish after a few years of use – just ask Chilean iPhone users who successfully sued Apple for $3.4 million…

Fairphone 2 by Seymourpowell

But e-waste is down to more than electronics being disposed of. The quantity of electronics produced is also increasing. This is due to higher levels of disposable income, urbanisation and industrialisation, collectively enabling more people to own washing machines, smart phones and hover boards. Faster production rates, lower production costs.

Of course, e-waste is the downstream problem. But upstream, the realms of mining, manufacturing and ethical supply chain management also represent a colossal challenge. It takes 2.2 million litres of water to mine 1 ton of lithium (the key ingredient for lithium-ion batteries). That’s roughly a 2000:1 waste to product ratio, by weight. Have a look at the title image and you’ll see what 2.2 million litres of toxic water from lithium mining looks like – curiously beautiful, as it turns out. Add this story up for all of the precious rare earth elements and metals which make up a smart phone, and you begin to appreciate why manufacturing a typical 200g smartphone can produce 86kg of waste material.

‘Precious’ and ‘rare’ are important words to bear in mind here. The minerals which allow products to vibrate, respond to touch and speak to satellites are unsurprisingly of great value and in rapidly limiting supply. With this comes conflict over mines, child labour and horrifically unethical supply chains. These industrial systems must transition from extractive to regenerative to start undoing all that damage. This means actively seeking to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders involved, from mine to factory to shop shelf and beyond. Which is exactly what the ‘Fair’ in Fairphone means.

Ok, doom and gloom over. Here’s a roundup of our top five sustainability developments in the world of consumer tech, following the release of the Fairphone 2.

1. Right to Repair

Introduced in the UK on July 8th 2021, the ‘Right to Repair’ law legally requires manufacturers to make spare parts available to consumers and third-party companies. The legislation is aimed at extending the life cycle of a range of devices and appliances by up to 10 years. For consumers, it currently covers dishwashers, washing machines/dryers, refrigeration appliances and televisions/ electronic displays. Non-consumer products such as electric motors, retail refrigerators, light sources (and more!) are also included. These are some top offender categories but, of course, we hope the law will add more products to this list in due course. Manufacturers would be wise to proactively prepare for such an eventuality.

2. France Repair Scheme

Any electronics’ aficionado worth their salt will know of wiki-based, repair guide/ online community site, ifixit: the go-to place for guides, materials and tools when repairing domestic electronics. ifixit publish repairability scores for products and France have recently written a similar scoring system into law – the first country in Europe to do so. Current categories include smartphones, laptops, washing machines, TVs and lawnmowers. Manufacturers must self-grade their products using a government issued spread sheet (which you can view on the ifixit website).

3. More Modular Firsts

Following the first modular smart phone is the first modular laptop, Frame. Pitched to consumers as a laptop designed to last 10 years, the Frame laptop has easily upgradable and modular components, as well as a community run marketplace for buying / reselling parts. The laptop itself has received mixed reviews online, touted for its great sustainability credentials and critiqued for its approach to upgradability. Other sustainability-minded modular consumer electronics include Gerrard Street Headphones and the brilliantly named HP Elite x2 G4 tablet.

4. Apple Announces Self-Repair

Sensing the inevitable, Apple have taken an unpredicted step forward. Late last year, it announced that parts, tools and guides for repair would be available to individual consumers (only for their latest iPhones). There are reasons to be both surprised and unsurprised by this. Historically, Apple have held true to a ‘closed box’ ethos with their products. Users must not tinker, nor mess with the inside of such a beautifully crafted device. However, behind the scenes, Apple have been designing for repairability for years. iPhones have steadily become faster and easier to repair or refurbish by a certified professional, in order to facilitate their buy-back scheme and in store repair. The difference now is that they’re designing for consumer access to this process, unleashing the tools and knowhow for global iPhone users to flex their tech-savvy muscles.

Library of things by Seymourpowell

5. New Models of Use & Ownership

We’ve covered legislation and product innovation, but how about new business models? To reduce the environmental toll of consumer electronics we don’t always need a radical redesign of products, but perhaps just a rethink on the consumption model. Apple have been doing this with their steady shift to service subscriptions like Music, TV and Fitness. To further shift away from our default ‘linear’ consumption model, more and more businesses are favouring access over ownership with rent-able and share-able products. This is right at the heart of Circular Economy thinking. Models like this provide affordable access to high quality products for those that might not be able to fork out on the top shelf stuff. Admittedly renting is not a new idea… it is, however, having a resurgence. Some examples include Grover (tech rental), Lime Bike (e-bike rental), Fat Lama (the Airbnb of ‘stuff’), Gerrard Street (leasable headphones) and Library of Things (high-street product rental). The latter we are particularly proud of, as we helped define the first self-service-thing-rental site in Crystal Palace.

Indicators
Nowhere
Combatting Inequity

A Metaverse meet-up platform has been designed to combat social inequalities which exist on other Web 3.0 platforms. Nowhere developers have designed the platform to remove barriers to access: you don't need an NFT or crypto wallet to join, thus reducing financial and technical requirements. The 3D voice chat feature increases the volume of a user's voice as they move closer to you, making contact more authentic and frictionless.

CES Page 07

Soul Machines
The 'Digital Workforce'

Soul Machines is a personalized, AI-based simulation service with a Human OS platform. It features a patented 'Digital Brain' which helps deliver human and machine collaboration. It's designed to democratise the service industry, with digital 'people' placed in the WHO and New Zealand police.

CES Page 08

SenseGlovel
Meta Touch

Wireless gloves from Dutch start-up, SenseGlove, let users feel the size, weight, texture and density of virtual objects when worn with VR headsets.

CES Page 09

Institute of Digital Fashion
Avatar Representation

Research by Institute of Digital Fashion shows that people want more choices for diverse representation in online spaces. There are clear demands from consumers for: better accommodations (including text to accompany audio) and avatar customisation which takes into account bodily differences.

CES Page 10

Indicators
Miele
Tech Repair

At the Salone del Mobile 2022, Miele's 'Longevity Lab' used an exploded installation to communicate the brand's inherited value around longevity. The brand celebrated their policy of keeping spare parts available for fifteen years after a home appliance is discontinued, encouraging everyone to care for and repair their home equipment.

CES Page 12

Yamaha x ECAL
Reimagined Touchpoints

In a project with ECAL, Yamaha proposes an alternative approach to physical interaction with sound-play devices. Incorporating AI, live-streamed performances and ASMR, the students designed six new music players and accessories which offer a novel music listening experience, as well as physical appeal.

CES Page 13

Paul Coenen
Mono Material

Paul Coenen folds a single sheet of steel to create furniture which is designed to be passed from generation to generation. The mono-material furniture and homeware collection offers superior durability through the use of stainless steel without the need for added coatings, adhesives or fasteners.

CES Page 14

Disruptive Berlin
Anti-impulsive Consumerism

Disruptive Berlin offers its community an alternative lifestyle and perspective when it comes to consumerism. With an exclusive password-protected shopping area on their site and Instagram channel, they encourage consumers to question their potentially 'impulsive' decisions before buying new/ second-hand clothing.

CES Page 15

Indicators
Bethany Williams
Stronger Together

Bethany Williams is building a practice that seeks to challenge the traditional fashion industry. From garments made from recycled book waste to collaborations with community projects, her work tackles social and environmental issues.

CES Page 17

Yinka Ilori
Bright Spaces

Yinka Ilori opens his first a pop up retail store in Shoreditch. Featuring his signature colourful, bright motifs, the space is inspired by West African architecture and features his homeware products. The aim of the space is to explore how we can help customers connect, experience and discover.

CES Page 18

Brothers Fearon Fabrication
Playful Furniture

Australian studio Brothers Fearon Fabrication creates funky and tactile aluminium furniture pieces, some with whimsical character faces, showcasing pure fun and enjoyment.

CES Page 19

Modibodi
Menstruation for All

Modibodi's new All Gender Collection brings non-binary and transgender men into the conversation around menstruation. The campaign brings inclusive design to the forefront, through the LGBTQ+IA colour palette, and accessible design for all body types and genders.

CES Page 20

Indicators
Jonathan Bocca
Curious Forms

Jonathan Bocca uses everyday materials (like paper) to craft strange animal-esque objects. Bridging the gap between sculpture and furniture, his otherworldly pieces take on a personality of their own, pushing the boundaries of traditional forms.

CES Page 22

Strange Clay
Expect the Unexpected

Full of weird and wonderful delights, the Strange Clay Exhibition at the Hayward Gallery illustrates the tactile, sensual medium of clay and its endless possibilities: from fantastical creatures and uncanny representations of the everyday to expending the perception of ceramic objects.

CES Page 23

Dopamine Land
Dopamine Land

A multi-sensory experience which combines media, technology and play, all in one place. It's an interactive museum which channels the limitless imagination of your inner child into reality.

CES Page 24

Ka! Empathogenics
Edible Trips

Ka! Empathogenics are chews which are designed to help users handle moments of stress. It's the first ever natural empathogenic supplement, containing botanicals like Kanna, a South African psychoactive herb, which helps to boost energy, focus and creativity.

CES Page 25

Eddie Hamilton is an Industrial Designer and Sustainability Lead at Seymourpowell

Sustainability
Technology
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We recently spotted a BBC article about Fairphone, the ethical smartphone company. Back in 2015, seymourpowell and Fairphone teamed up to bring the world's first modular smartphone to life and now, seven years later, it's great to see that they're still leading the way with socially and ecologically sustainable electronics.

This got us thinking: when it comes to sustainability, how has the consumer electronics industry evolved since this release? What are the key developments in legislation, innovation and consumer trends over the past seven years? If Fairphone helped to kickstart this movement, then where is it heading?

Before we jump in, let’s remind ourselves of the sustainability challenges this industry is facing. There are a few important topics which I will briefly outline, but this is by no means an exhaustive analysis.

The first challenge is the rapidly growing flood of e-waste and the immense social and environmental toll it represents. There are a couple of drivers that have led to e-waste taking top spot as ‘fastest growing waste stream’, globally.

Factors like shorter product life cycles, scarce repair options and higher consumption rates are fuelling this waste stream. The shorter product life cycle is an interesting topic. Planned obsolescence (the idea of deliberately shortening a product’s lifespan by designing a failure event into the product) in fact stems from the desire to combat a humanitarian crisis. Bernard London, a prominent economist from the Great Depression days, advocated that planned obsolescence would increase consumption, stimulate economies and help starving families out of dire situations. Today, that same brilliant idea is implemented to make iPhones a bit sluggish after a few years of use – just ask Chilean iPhone users who successfully sued Apple for $3.4 million…

Fairphone 2 by Seymourpowell

But e-waste is down to more than electronics being disposed of. The quantity of electronics produced is also increasing. This is due to higher levels of disposable income, urbanisation and industrialisation, collectively enabling more people to own washing machines, smart phones and hover boards. Faster production rates, lower production costs.

Of course, e-waste is the downstream problem. But upstream, the realms of mining, manufacturing and ethical supply chain management also represent a colossal challenge. It takes 2.2 million litres of water to mine 1 ton of lithium (the key ingredient for lithium-ion batteries). That’s roughly a 2000:1 waste to product ratio, by weight. Have a look at the title image and you’ll see what 2.2 million litres of toxic water from lithium mining looks like – curiously beautiful, as it turns out. Add this story up for all of the precious rare earth elements and metals which make up a smart phone, and you begin to appreciate why manufacturing a typical 200g smartphone can produce 86kg of waste material.

‘Precious’ and ‘rare’ are important words to bear in mind here. The minerals which allow products to vibrate, respond to touch and speak to satellites are unsurprisingly of great value and in rapidly limiting supply. With this comes conflict over mines, child labour and horrifically unethical supply chains. These industrial systems must transition from extractive to regenerative to start undoing all that damage. This means actively seeking to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders involved, from mine to factory to shop shelf and beyond. Which is exactly what the ‘Fair’ in Fairphone means.

Ok, doom and gloom over. Here’s a roundup of our top five sustainability developments in the world of consumer tech, following the release of the Fairphone 2.

1. Right to Repair

Introduced in the UK on July 8th 2021, the ‘Right to Repair’ law legally requires manufacturers to make spare parts available to consumers and third-party companies. The legislation is aimed at extending the life cycle of a range of devices and appliances by up to 10 years. For consumers, it currently covers dishwashers, washing machines/dryers, refrigeration appliances and televisions/ electronic displays. Non-consumer products such as electric motors, retail refrigerators, light sources (and more!) are also included. These are some top offender categories but, of course, we hope the law will add more products to this list in due course. Manufacturers would be wise to proactively prepare for such an eventuality.

2. France Repair Scheme

Any electronics’ aficionado worth their salt will know of wiki-based, repair guide/ online community site, ifixit: the go-to place for guides, materials and tools when repairing domestic electronics. ifixit publish repairability scores for products and France have recently written a similar scoring system into law – the first country in Europe to do so. Current categories include smartphones, laptops, washing machines, TVs and lawnmowers. Manufacturers must self-grade their products using a government issued spread sheet (which you can view on the ifixit website).

3. More Modular Firsts

Following the first modular smart phone is the first modular laptop, Frame. Pitched to consumers as a laptop designed to last 10 years, the Frame laptop has easily upgradable and modular components, as well as a community run marketplace for buying / reselling parts. The laptop itself has received mixed reviews online, touted for its great sustainability credentials and critiqued for its approach to upgradability. Other sustainability-minded modular consumer electronics include Gerrard Street Headphones and the brilliantly named HP Elite x2 G4 tablet.

4. Apple Announces Self-Repair

Sensing the inevitable, Apple have taken an unpredicted step forward. Late last year, it announced that parts, tools and guides for repair would be available to individual consumers (only for their latest iPhones). There are reasons to be both surprised and unsurprised by this. Historically, Apple have held true to a ‘closed box’ ethos with their products. Users must not tinker, nor mess with the inside of such a beautifully crafted device. However, behind the scenes, Apple have been designing for repairability for years. iPhones have steadily become faster and easier to repair or refurbish by a certified professional, in order to facilitate their buy-back scheme and in store repair. The difference now is that they’re designing for consumer access to this process, unleashing the tools and knowhow for global iPhone users to flex their tech-savvy muscles.

Library of things by Seymourpowell

5. New Models of Use & Ownership

We’ve covered legislation and product innovation, but how about new business models? To reduce the environmental toll of consumer electronics we don’t always need a radical redesign of products, but perhaps just a rethink on the consumption model. Apple have been doing this with their steady shift to service subscriptions like Music, TV and Fitness. To further shift away from our default ‘linear’ consumption model, more and more businesses are favouring access over ownership with rent-able and share-able products. This is right at the heart of Circular Economy thinking. Models like this provide affordable access to high quality products for those that might not be able to fork out on the top shelf stuff. Admittedly renting is not a new idea… it is, however, having a resurgence. Some examples include Grover (tech rental), Lime Bike (e-bike rental), Fat Lama (the Airbnb of ‘stuff’), Gerrard Street (leasable headphones) and Library of Things (high-street product rental). The latter we are particularly proud of, as we helped define the first self-service-thing-rental site in Crystal Palace.

Indicators
Nowhere
Combatting Inequity

A Metaverse meet-up platform has been designed to combat social inequalities which exist on other Web 3.0 platforms. Nowhere developers have designed the platform to remove barriers to access: you don't need an NFT or crypto wallet to join, thus reducing financial and technical requirements. The 3D voice chat feature increases the volume of a user's voice as they move closer to you, making contact more authentic and frictionless.

CES Page 07

Soul Machines
The 'Digital Workforce'

Soul Machines is a personalized, AI-based simulation service with a Human OS platform. It features a patented 'Digital Brain' which helps deliver human and machine collaboration. It's designed to democratise the service industry, with digital 'people' placed in the WHO and New Zealand police.

CES Page 08

SenseGlovel
Meta Touch

Wireless gloves from Dutch start-up, SenseGlove, let users feel the size, weight, texture and density of virtual objects when worn with VR headsets.

CES Page 09

Institute of Digital Fashion
Avatar Representation

Research by Institute of Digital Fashion shows that people want more choices for diverse representation in online spaces. There are clear demands from consumers for: better accommodations (including text to accompany audio) and avatar customisation which takes into account bodily differences.

CES Page 10

Indicators
Miele
Tech Repair

At the Salone del Mobile 2022, Miele's 'Longevity Lab' used an exploded installation to communicate the brand's inherited value around longevity. The brand celebrated their policy of keeping spare parts available for fifteen years after a home appliance is discontinued, encouraging everyone to care for and repair their home equipment.

CES Page 12

Yamaha x ECAL
Reimagined Touchpoints

In a project with ECAL, Yamaha proposes an alternative approach to physical interaction with sound-play devices. Incorporating AI, live-streamed performances and ASMR, the students designed six new music players and accessories which offer a novel music listening experience, as well as physical appeal.

CES Page 13

Paul Coenen
Mono Material

Paul Coenen folds a single sheet of steel to create furniture which is designed to be passed from generation to generation. The mono-material furniture and homeware collection offers superior durability through the use of stainless steel without the need for added coatings, adhesives or fasteners.

CES Page 14

Disruptive Berlin
Anti-impulsive Consumerism

Disruptive Berlin offers its community an alternative lifestyle and perspective when it comes to consumerism. With an exclusive password-protected shopping area on their site and Instagram channel, they encourage consumers to question their potentially 'impulsive' decisions before buying new/ second-hand clothing.

CES Page 15

Indicators
Bethany Williams
Stronger Together

Bethany Williams is building a practice that seeks to challenge the traditional fashion industry. From garments made from recycled book waste to collaborations with community projects, her work tackles social and environmental issues.

CES Page 17

Yinka Ilori
Bright Spaces

Yinka Ilori opens his first a pop up retail store in Shoreditch. Featuring his signature colourful, bright motifs, the space is inspired by West African architecture and features his homeware products. The aim of the space is to explore how we can help customers connect, experience and discover.

CES Page 18

Brothers Fearon Fabrication
Playful Furniture

Australian studio Brothers Fearon Fabrication creates funky and tactile aluminium furniture pieces, some with whimsical character faces, showcasing pure fun and enjoyment.

CES Page 19

Modibodi
Menstruation for All

Modibodi's new All Gender Collection brings non-binary and transgender men into the conversation around menstruation. The campaign brings inclusive design to the forefront, through the LGBTQ+IA colour palette, and accessible design for all body types and genders.

CES Page 20

Indicators
Jonathan Bocca
Curious Forms

Jonathan Bocca uses everyday materials (like paper) to craft strange animal-esque objects. Bridging the gap between sculpture and furniture, his otherworldly pieces take on a personality of their own, pushing the boundaries of traditional forms.

CES Page 22

Strange Clay
Expect the Unexpected

Full of weird and wonderful delights, the Strange Clay Exhibition at the Hayward Gallery illustrates the tactile, sensual medium of clay and its endless possibilities: from fantastical creatures and uncanny representations of the everyday to expending the perception of ceramic objects.

CES Page 23

Dopamine Land
Dopamine Land

A multi-sensory experience which combines media, technology and play, all in one place. It's an interactive museum which channels the limitless imagination of your inner child into reality.

CES Page 24

Ka! Empathogenics
Edible Trips

Ka! Empathogenics are chews which are designed to help users handle moments of stress. It's the first ever natural empathogenic supplement, containing botanicals like Kanna, a South African psychoactive herb, which helps to boost energy, focus and creativity.

CES Page 25

Eddie Hamilton is an Industrial Designer and Sustainability Lead at Seymourpowell

Sustainability
Technology