Wearable Health Devices Could Generate a Million Tons of E-Waste By 2050

Wearable Health Devices Could Generate a Million Tons of E-Waste By 2050

Wearable Health Devices Could Flood Planet with E-Waste by 2050 As wearable health devices flood CES 2026 with promises of smarter glucose monitoring, real-time blood pressure tracking, and AI-powered fitness insights, a troubling forecast looms behind the glossy demos: by 2050, these gadgets could generate over a million tons of electronic waste annually. A groundbreaking study from Cornell University and the University of Chicago reveals that unless design and manufacturing practices change dramatically, the environmental toll of today’s health tech boom could far outweigh its benefits. Credit: Yana Iskayeva / Getty Images The Hidden Cost of Your Smartwatch Most consumers think of wearables as sleek, lightweight, and even eco-conscious—after all, they help monitor health and reduce hospital visits. But the truth lies beneath the surface. According to the study, published in Nature , the printed circuit board (PCB)—the “brain” of every wearable—accounts for a staggering 70% of the device’…