26 01732 759725 OPINION Sleek, chic, but unsustainable Rod Neale, CEO and founder of Circular Computing, argues that OEMs must rethink laptop design to support the circular economy and minimise e-waste standardise the use of USB-C connectors, preventing companies like Apple from continuing to use only their own proprietary lightning ports. Of course, creating true sustainabilityfirst devices will necessitate some tradeoffs. The use of more environmentallyfriendly materials, like bioplastics, could result in heavier devices, while increasing durability to prolong their life cycle may lead to thicker and sturdier designs that are less striking than the latest ultrathin models. These changes could also affect the relationship between OEMs and consumers. As laptops become more hardy, OEMs may start to offer more generous warranties and subscriptionbased repair services, reflecting customer expectations to own for longer and supporting a prolonged replacement cycle. Embedding circularity At Circular Computing, we specialise in creating sustainable laptops through a thorough 360-point Circular Remanufacturing Process that extends their lifecycle. This approach reduces e-waste and has a significantly lower carbon footprint than the production of new devices. Going forward, OEMs hold the key to whether remanufacturing like ours becomes truly embedded within the circular economy. While the sleek, sub-1kg laptops of today represent ingenuity and customerdriven design, they also represent a significant challenge for sustainability. Some of the choices that make these devices so desirable also make them difficult to repair and remanufacture, limiting their potential for a second life and adding to the growing problem of e-waste. By embracing more sustainable design practices, OEMs can not only extend the life of their products but also play a crucial role in supporting a more circular economy. With consumers becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchases, companies able to navigate this design dilemma will not only help preserve the planet but may gain a competitive edge in a rapidly changing market. https://circularcomputing.com place with strong adhesives rather than being screwed in, significantly limiting the ability to disassemble and reuse parts. The trend for membrane over mechanical keyboards presents additional difficulties for engineers as misfunctions cannot be isolated to an individual key and require a full disassembly. Design decisions like these may soften the sound of a keystroke or increase the visual wow factor of a laptop, but they can pose big hurdles when it comes to repurposing these devices or their components sustainably, making it more likely that cutting-edge models will contribute to the ever growing pile of e-waste. With 40 million tons of discarded electronics ending up in landfills each year, equivalent to 800 laptops every second, OEMs face a critical challenge: how can they continue to meet consumer demand for innovative and well-designed devices while addressing the urgent need for sustainability? Design for (second) life The answer lies in rethinking the design of laptops to prioritise repairability. Computers can be built in ways that make them easier to disassemble, repair and remanufacture, without big sacrifices in performance or aesthetics. For example, instead of welding components together, OEMs could use snap-fit assembly techniques, which allow parts to be easily removed and replaced. This approach would make devices easier to repair and reduce the time and labour required for remanufacturing, making it more economically viable. Another aspect of sustainableled design would be greater use of standardised components across different models, making it easier to swap out parts like RAM, batteries or even processors. This would make it easier for consumers to upgrade their devices themselves and simplify the remanufacturing process, reducing waste and lowering costs. Legislation is already helping to steer manufacturers towards a one‑sizefits-all ethos for some devices. The EU, for example, has introduced rules to The evolution of computers from the bulky, desktop-bound machines of the 1970s to the ultra-portable laptops of today is nothing short of remarkable. Over the past few decades, consumer demand has driven Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to create lightweight devices that pack serious processing power and are thin enough to slide easily inside a rucksack. Today’s laptops, some coming in at under a kilogram, are a completely different animal to the first portable computers, like the Osborne 1, which weighed more than ten times as much. As our devices become sleeker and easier on the eye, however, aesthetic choices run the risk of glossing over sustainability goals. One significant concern is the difficulty in giving some newer computers a second life. With the advent of 10th-generation models at the start of the decade, more laptops are being designed by OEMs using components and processes that make them increasingly difficult to repair or remanufacture. For example, the ultra-thin LCD screens that are becoming a standard feature in many mid-range laptops are so delicate that they are prone to break during any attempt to mend or rebuild devices. These screens are increasingly glued in Rod Neale
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