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“If we don’t reduce the continuous production cycle of electronic waste, we will have 75 million tons of electronic waste generated annually by 2030,” warns the leader of the Lazarian Studios team. The message is clear: we need to adopt a circular economy where resources from old devices are used to build new ones, especially when we talk about electric cars.
Did you know that we generate over US$ 62.5 billion in electronic waste annually? To put it into context, this amount is greater than the GDP of many countries and is equivalent to about 50 million tons of electronic waste discarded every year. But amid this environmental chaos, an initiative in Manchester, England, brings a ray of hope: electric cars made entirely from electronic waste.
Urban Mining: Formula E Car Made From Electronic Waste
Developed by Liam and his team at Lazarian Studios, the project features a Generation 3 Formula E car made entirely from electronic waste. Surprisingly, the car is made from components ranging from iPhones and Xboxes to vapes, some of which have only been used for a week.
“This project is to make people realize that these things we often throw away can be reused in creative ways,” Liam said. The car is not just an assembly of electronic components on an existing chassis; it was built from scratch.
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The Impact of Vapes on Electric Cars
One of the most shocking aspects of this project is the extensive use of vapes, devices that are often discarded after a single use. “In the United Kingdom, around 168 million of these devices were sold last year. And approximately 50% of them are discarded in landfills,” revealed the Manchester team.
This waste of vapes translates to about 310 megawatt-hours of battery capacity, enough to power over 6,200 Tesla Model 3s. This raises an important question about how the improper disposal of these devices is affecting the environment and the potential for their reuse in electric cars.
The Journey of Electronic Waste: Apple and Redwood Materials
Currently, only about 20% of our electronic waste is formally recycled, with the remaining 80% going to landfills or being informally recycled, often in developing countries. This practice exposes workers to hazardous and cancer-causing substances.
Fortunately, companies like Apple and Redwood Materials are leading the way in recycling e-waste to create new batteries for electric cars. Additionally, in the UK, Music Magpie is working to give new life to old devices.
The project in Manchester is more than just an example of innovation; it is a call to action for manufacturers and consumers to rethink the life cycle of our electronic devices. And it shows that, even amid a colossal environmental problem, innovation can find a sustainable outlet.
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