INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056

Reducing Electronic Waste through the Development of an Adaptable Mobile Device Loveroop Singh #PEC university Vidya Path, Sector 12, Chandigarh, 160012 Loveroopsingh786”.com

Abstract— Electronic waste is a growing problem in the world. As technology is more rapidly developed and made accessible to the public, an increase in the disposal of old electronics becomes more imminent. Electronic waste is harmful to the environment and the amount that it attributes to the waste stream can be reduced. Electronic products such as mobile devices are ubiquitous and the rates with which they are acquired and replaced by the consumers continue to rise. The current mobile device market encourages the acquisition of new devices more often than the end-of-life of the entire product. To create a more sustainable technological future, there must be a reduction in mobile device contribution to electronic waste. The problem of electronic waste with specific focus on mobile devices is approached from a systems engineering perspective. We performed a requirements analysis of alternative architectures that could potentially encourage and inspire customers to keep mobile devices for longer durations. In particular, we explored the idea of Phonebloks or a modular device, identified the critical factors in the development phase as outlined by ISO 15288 and ISO 9001 standards, and implemented a survey to evaluate user interest. This research explores a proof-of-concept design for a mobile device that is durable and customizable. A modular device allows for the consumer to replace a piece of the phone rather than the entire phone when they need to update their device. The consumer base is important to the success of the product, and our survey indicates a significant potential for consumer interest. The success of such a device could influence the development of more sustainable devices that will further encourage environmentally conscious technological design. .Keywords— mobile device, modular, Phonebloks, e-waste, electronic waste.

I. INTRODUCTION Electronic waste is rapidly growing as more technology is developed and improved. Electronic waste or e-waste is the fastest growing type of solid waste in the world and there is still no proper protocol for disposal [1]. Electronic waste is not just limited to computers, televisions, and phones; it also includes light fixtures, microwaves, radios, refrigerators and other types of technology or complex goods. Without proper disposal of electronic waste, there can be negative impacts on the environment and public health [2] The negative environmental impact of irresponsible disposal of electric waste is due to the harmful contents of the devices which include high levels of hazardous materials such as Mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Hexavalent (Cr), PVC, and Brominated Flame Retardants [3]. At the end-of-life of an electronic device, the device can be disposed of, recycled, or stored. When an electronic device is disposed of in the trash the device will end up in a landfill and those toxic materials will potentially seep into the environment [1]. Aside from electronic wastes’ contributions to landfills in America, some e-waste is shipped overseas after being collected for recycling [4]. Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean are major channels for exporting the United States’ electronic waste. To wit, an estimated 10% of used mobile devices are exported on average. This estimate is subject to uncertainty since tracking electronic waste is difficult due to the absence of trade codes for used products [5]. Some of the estimated waste ends up in “informal channels” of recycling in Asia where the electronics are broken down for precious metals in unsafe conditions [6]. A major contributor to electronic waste is the mobile device. Mobile phones are the most often disposed of electronic device [7]. Smart phones have become a part of the American culture. New models of smart phones are introduced to the market frequently and upgrades are made possible through mobile providers. On the average, Americans exchange their cell phones every 22 months [8]. As a result, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2010 roughly 19,500 tons of mobile devices were gotten rid of by United States’ consumers. Only 11% of those were recycled, while the rest make their way to landfills. Also based on the EPA’s 2010 findings, the United States disposes of more than 416,000 mobile devices every day [9]. Part of the

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reason such a large amount of waste is occurring is because in order to keep up with the latest software or newest technology, buying a new phone is a necessity. As technology develops more rapidly, consumers are forced to upgrade their devices entirely to utilize the most current advancements in a single tool. Worldwide, mobile phones have seen a 3.6% increase in sales from 2012 to 2013 [10]. Purchasing mobile devices and upgrading is becoming more accessible and widespread. The problem of electronic waste and the harm that it causes the environment will continue to escalate if there is not a feasible solution for reduction in the rate of mobile device disposal.

II. PRELIMINARY SYSTEMS ANALYSIS I. Problem Statement

The mobile devices’ contribution to electronic waste, which is the greatest per unit device, creating 152,000 units of waste in 2010, will continue to increase with the rapid development of new technologies [11].

II. Requirements Analysis

In order to find a solution to reduce electronic waste from mobile devices, we identified a set of criteria that are deemed to be important in encouraging consumer reduction of e-waste. These criteria had to reflect the realities of consumer’s needs to have access to the newest innovations in the mobile device industry, keeping in mind that the proposed system should not hinder innovation. The following are the requirements we specified for the proposed solution:

1. Sustainability - The system shall reduce the production of electronic waste due to mobile devices. 2. Durability - The system shall encourage a lifespan of longer than 22 months for the average mobile device [8]. 3. Innovation - The system shall provide access to the newest technologies. 4. Cost - The system shall be competitively priced in the mobile device industry.

III. ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS To properly find a solution we need to analyze the possible alternatives that could fulfill the main objectives and requirements presented in the previous section. The alternatives considered for mobile device replacement and acquisition are evaluated in Table I. They include a range of changes the mobile carriers could make to their device contracts, legislation which could hinder e-waste, and a sustainable design

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I. Two-Year Mobile Device Upgrades The first alternative is the most common plan among cellular phone carriers, which is to provide a two- year contract to customers. The current scenario has led to an incredible amount of electronic waste and has customers chasing trends and throwing out entire devices for small upgrades. Continuing this strategy will not result in the desired reduction of electronic waste, but has to be considered as it requires no change and is therefore the cheapest alternative to pursue. II. No Annual Contract Another alternative is to offer no two-year contracts and allow customers to buy the newest phones at full cost independently from their carrier. This approach allows for the newest technology for the customer, but is very costintensive on the customer side. The full priced acquisition of devices entails expensive upfront costs. In this way, for people who cannot afford devices at full price, there would be a reduction in electronics purchased and consequently added to the waste stream. Innovation may increase with the loss of annual contracts because devices will need to inspire expensive customer purchases. III. Yearly Upgrade with Rebate A new emerging approach offered by some phone carriers, such as AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, is the possibility for customers to upgrade to newer phones once a year for a slightly increased monthly payment [12] [13]. In addition, customers are required to return their old phones in order to qualify for the upgrade. This alternative allows customers to upgrade to the newest technology for a reasonable surcharge. Adversely, more phones will be in circulation due to the more frequent upgrades. In addition, depending on the recycling or reuse methods of the carrier this alternative could be harmful to e-waste. When the phone carriers collect the phones, since proper recycling is very expensive, the phones will most likely either recirculate as used phones or enter into an informal waste channel. Recirculation is a good way to reduce e-waste, but since more phones would be kept by the first customer for less than the average period, the life cycle of the device will still not be improved significantly. IV. E-Waste Legislation The next alternative is to implement legislature which would mandate electronics companies to ensure their mobile devices and other products are collected and properly dealt with at their end-of-life. The legislation would be similar to that of the Waste Electrical and electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive implemented in the European Union [14]. The directive could be seen to encourage durability since companies will have an incentive to make longer lasting devices as they are now in charge of the end of the device’s life. But even with this legislation in place, e-waste continues to be exported to developing countries and overall has not equated to more environmentally friendly processes of breaking down used electronics [14]. Responsible recycling for electronics companies is costly. Making companies responsible for American electronics once consumers have relinquished them will not slow down the creation of electronic waste or its negative environmental impact. V. Modularized Device An ideal alternative that offers customers access to the newest technology advancements at affordable rates, while also being a sustainable and environmental friendly solution is a modular mobile device. A modular mobile device would offer components of the device that could be upgraded rather than the entire device. In addition, customization has shown to be attractive to customers in a mobile device and increases the devices lifespan [4]. The design concept encourages innovation because developers of the components can specialize in that particular technology without having to understand the development of an entire mobile device. Further, to investigate the environmental impact of upgrading devices there is a study of personal computers, which concluded that upgrading a part of the device rather than recycling saves in life cycle energy use. Although upgrading a device does not save as much energy as reselling the entire device since the components energy used in production is taken into account. Overall, a longer lifespan through a sustainable design would improve the life cycle energy consumption since the initial energy used to make the device is the most impactful of the cycle [15]. Figure 1 depicts the many components of the

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development of a modular mobile device that would need to be taken into account. The inputs include the supplier software and hardware options that need to consider coordination between suppliers and developers at a central company to ensure that all outsourced pieces work with the standard base of the device and other components. The external guidelines to take into account are all industry regulations, security laws, and legal agreements made with the outside vendors. The company that develops the modular device will be responsible for all internal regulations or enablers which include quality standards and specifications. The execution of the idea will depend on all of these components and how well a company could identify and then implement the different production processes.#

PROOF OF CONCEPT

To properly evaluate the proof of concept of the modular device, which we evaluated as the best solution to the growing problem of the mobile device’s contribution to electronic waste, we explain an instance of a modular device which is in its development phases. In addition, we evaluate a modular device using the ISO 15288 and ISO 9001 Standards [16]. I. Phonebloks and Project Ara To get a better gauge of customer interest, we focused on a tangible modular device concept to further evaluate. An example of an idea for a modularized device is “Phonebloks.” Phonebloks is a mobile device that can be upgraded by using interchangeable “bloks” [17]. These bloks are attached to a motherboard which ensures the functionality of the mobile device. The bloks can be arranged to make a customized device, each component being chosen by the customer for whatever functionalities they find most crucial in a mobile device. For example, a customer may prioritize a larger battery and internal storage, but does not need a camera blok. Once a part of the device breaks or a new technology update for one of the parts of the device is available, the customer has the option of replacing that particular blok exclusively. This method can be cost efficient for the customer since single bloks are far less expensive than the replacement of the entire device. While this allows the customer to stay current with the newest technology advancements, it also reduces the amount of electronic waste produced by the industry since single bloks are being disposed rather than entire devices. As discussed earlier, upgradable devices have a smaller environmental impact than disposing entire devices [15]. The recycled components may have a better chance of being reused if being upgraded before the end-of-life. In other words if a consumer wants to change a component to get a newer blok, making this blok available for reuse by someone else would be easier than recovering reusable components from a partially outdated or broken device. Unfortunately, the actual execution of this type of mobile device into the already competitive mobile device market will be much harder. The concept of Phonebloks is in the development of becoming an actual device. Phonebloks itself is a campaign that looks to encourage the production of a device comprised of multiple bloks. From our survey of 152 mobile device users, which will be discussed later, we found that 44.74% were unaware of the term electronic waste before Phonebloks. is working with Phonebloks to develop this project and has named the collaboration Project Ara which is set to be a real device in the next year or so [17]. The development of the project requires a customer base which is environmentally conscious and wants an entirely customizable product [18]. Google and Phonebloks will continue to be independent, but Phonebloks will be a platform for customers to give their input on Project Ara’s creation [19]. Google feels that the project will expand internet users by providing a phone which can be customized so that it is affordable, as well as changing the phone industry by opening a platform for new hardware developers to attribute to the mobile phone development [17]. The development and success of Phonebloks and Project Ara could transform the market and the way that technology is developed and how technology organizations solicit user preferences.

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II. Human Resource Management Process A company that produces modular mobile devices would need to hire employees who have extensive hardware and software development knowledge. This knowledge would be used while possibly developing in house components as well as making specifications for outsourced components for the device. The components need to be specified accurately to outside companies in order to make sure that configurations of components work together on the central piece of the device, or in the case of Phonebloks, the circuit board. The employees will also have to communicate well with other organizations that are developing components. In addition, the company will have to provide training sessions for the advancement of the employees in order to ensure the continuing success of the company in its industry. Without having technical staff that has a deep understanding of the most recent outsourced components, the modular device would lose the opportunity to advance in the market. III. Decision Management Process Another part of the process modular device developers will have to keep in mind is that creating specifications of alternatives for outsourced component providers will take expert elicitation and testing. It is important to avoid inconsistencies when integrating many different technologies and outside organizations. IV. Risk Management Process An important part of the development of a product similar to Phonebloks that needs to be carefully surveyed and monitored is the risk of the concept. The risk of the mobile device could arise in the form of a malfunction with the product or a serious design flaw when piecing together the different manufacturers’ parts. If the risks are not treated properly and something were to go wrong with the product, since the concept is unfamiliar to the market, it could destroy the chance of the device becoming a viable competitor. For example, if a customer was publicized as having a Phonebloks which exploded, no one would switch from the dominant smartphone developers in the industry to a new phone which they feel is not yet well developed. Reported malfunction may be common with a modular device since as technological products become more intricately designed, there is more potential frustration from users. The potential risks of a user perceived failure will be hard to pinpoint in the design phase of the device, but will be crucial to the consumer’s satisfaction with the product [20].

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SURVEY I. Procedure To properly gauge mobile device user’s interest in a product like Phonebloks, which relies heavily on public support to enter a competitive market, we elicited survey responses through an online anonymous form. Overall, we received feedback from about 150 mobile device users. The questionnaire was meant to give us a sense of how often users change their mobile devices, what preferences in a mobile device are most important, and how realistic the success of a device like Phonebloks would be.

II. Results We found that an overwhelming majority, 75.8% of surveyed cell phone users purchased or replaced their phones at least once every two years. About 50.1% of the individuals replaced their phone because they had an upgrade available, 47% selected that they changed because their phone was damaged, and another 41% just wanted a different phone. Since the individuals could choose from more than one option, about 75% matched their choice of upgrading with either a damaged or a different style phone. The foregoing data shows that most people replace their phones when an upgrade is made available. Upgrades have dictated the replacement of mobile devices. Making parts or bloks available to upgrade rather the entire mobile device would reduce electronic waste and continue the customer satisfaction of getting something new and innovative. To assess how preferences and customizability could potentially be utilized in a mobile device, we asked respondents what they found important, unimportant, and had no preference for in major cell phone features. The major phone features included camera quality, screen size, , memory, processor, and battery. We found that the primary feature that was significantly important to most users was the battery with 86.8% of responders rating it as important in their mobile device. As seen in Table II, there is a variation in what users find important and have no preference. Customizability in a phone has the potential to identify unique preferences, encourage sales, and customer satisfaction. To further distinguish if a concept like Phonebloks would be attractive, we asked users if they would consider purchasing a Phonebloks device at a competitive price. Almost 70% reported that they would purchase the device after referring to a short video with details of the concept. When individuals were asked if they had heard the term electronic waste before Phonebloks, about 55% had selected that they had. That still leaves 45% that were unaware before taking our survey or being introduced to Phonebloks in a different situation. Phonebloks is therefore more than just a concept for a phone; it is using social media and an undeveloped idea to bring awareness to an important issue.

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CONCLUSIONS

Phonebloks is a platform for users to be a part of the development process of a more durable mobile device. Google will face a lot of challenges while completing Project Ara, taking into account user preferences while still developing a viable technology. If the possible areas that we identified are closely monitored, we believe that Phonebloks could serve as an example for other modular electronic devices and a more sustainable technological future. Our survey shows that there could be keen interest in the customer base if the project is properly executed. Electronic waste is arguably an important problem that we will need to face as technology becomes more readily available and the devices we use in our day-to-day lives are rapidly improved.

FURTHER RESEARCH A further topic for research is the toxicity of individual components and their relative harm in the environment while comparing their toxicity with their longevity. Correlating the components that would be most often replaced with those that pose the greatest harm to environment will be a key consideration to enhance the success of introducing the modularized device concept.

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