Wearable health devices could generate a million tonnes of e-waste by 2050

This week in Las Vegas, tech companies at CES 2026 unveil the latest wearable health devices – glucometers, blood pressure trackers, fitness trackers. Probably not mentioned at the show is that these gadgets could create a huge environmental problem.

It’s not something that tends to attract a lot of attention, but a new study from Cornell University and the University of Chicago found that by 2050, demand for wearable health devices could reach 2 billion units per year, 42 times more than today. Unless we change how they are made, these devices could generate more than a million tons of e-waste and 100 million tons of carbon dioxide over the same period, the authors warn.

What’s even more surprising is that it’s not the plastic that’s the problem. The study, published in Nature, found that the circuit board – the “brains” of the device – accounts for 70% of its carbon footprint, largely due to intensive mining and manufacturing.

The researchers suggest two solutions: develop chips using common metals like copper instead of rare minerals like gold, and make the devices modular so that the circuit board can be reused while the exterior coating is replaced.

One of the study’s co-authors wrote: “When these devices are deployed on a global scale, the small design choices add up quickly. » This is something to think about while browsing the CES announcements.