Technical

Srinivasa Reddy Kandi: E-Waste Is Exploding. Can Smarter Refurbishing Turn the Tide?

November, 20, 2025-07:59

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E-Waste Is Exploding. Can Smarter Refurbishing Turn the Tide?

E-waste is rapidly becoming a global crisis. Most discarded electronics are either dumped or processed under unsafe conditions, and nearly 78% of all electronic devices never get properly recycled. With the amount of waste rising every year, the problem is only accelerating.

In 2024 alone, the world produced 1.22 billion smartphones. Combine that with billions of TVs, laptops, and computers already in circulation, and it’s clear that we’re stuck in a saturated, throwaway tech cycle.
The outlook is alarming: a United Nations report estimates global e-waste will reach 80 million tonnes by 2030. “That’s enough to fill 1.5 million 40-ton trucks — enough to circle the planet,” says Eric Ingebretsen, Chief Commercial Officer at SK Tes, which operates 40 global IT Asset Disposition centers and processes hundreds of millions of pounds of electronics annually.
It’s evident that the world urgently needs e-waste solutions that can both help the planet and create sustainable business value.

The Business Opportunity in E-waste:
The numbers speak for themselves. A refurbished laptop can often sell for around €200, while the raw material value of a fully recycled laptop is only about €10, notes Olsen.
“A few key repairs — often just a handful of simple component replacements — can generate far more value than breaking the device down for materials,” he explains.
But powering sophisticated refurbishment systems with AI isn’t easy. If a robot encounters something outside its training data — such as a screw in an unfamiliar color — it may not know how to proceed. Each of these variables demands new training data, making the process highly complex.
Because of these unpredictable scenarios, human oversight remains essential. Robotic recycling and refurbishment systems must include humans in the loop to step in whenever the AI encounters an unexpected situation.

Author: Kandi Srinivasa Reddy, Srinivasa Reddy Kandi, #KandiSrinivasaReddy, #SrinivasaReddyKandi