E-Waste Mountains: Old Chromebooks Piling Up

According to The Verge, Google’s low-end laptops, called Chromebooks, are creating massive electronic waste (e-waste) piles thanks to planned obsolescence. During the pandemic, schools bought Chromebooks in droves to keep their students connected amid the height of remote learning. However, Google builds these low-end options to fail. And now that they’re all breaking, e-waste mountains are piling up and can seriously impact the environment.

Chromebooks’ short lifespans contribute massively to e-waste mountains.

A report by the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) says Chromebooks saw a 287% spike in sales in 2020. But, unfortunately, now that we’re a few years removed from the initial days of the pandemic, the laptops are failing en masse. “Chromebook churn” (the result of Chromebook’s short lifespan) has become a severe issue for schools and creates piles of e-waste.

“Chromebooks aren’t built to last,” said iFixit director of sustainability Elizabeth Chamberlain. “Professional repair techs tell me they’re often forced to chuck good Chromebook hardware with years of life left.” 

Google’s laptops only receive software updates for eight years after their release. Once that time is up, they can no longer access secure websites and essentially become useless. Additionally, many schools purchase older models of Chromebooks, cutting their usability time even shorter. 

Every student needs a laptop in 2023, and Chromebooks cost taxpayers billions. 

PIRG estimates if Google eliminated the eight-year death sentence, it could save $1.8 billion for American taxpayers. And according to PIRG, Chromebooks created an estimated 8.9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2020. And only about a third of the e-waste produced is properly recycled. 

Additionally, though e-waste only contributes about 2% of the global waste stream, it contributes 70% of the worldwide environmental toxicity. So, what’s the answer to the piles of unnecessary waste created by Chromebooks? Stop making them so difficult to fix. 

Chromebooks are notoriously hard to repair (beyond the fact that the software “breaks” after eight years). Google makes arbitrary changes between models, making simple repairs infinitely more difficult due to a lack of parts. Sweeping “right to repair” policies would help reduce e-waste and save taxpayers money.