> At a Glance
> – Demand for health wearables may hit 2 billion units yearly by 2050-a 42× jump
> – Printed circuit boards drive 70% of each device’s carbon footprint
> – Without design changes, waste could top 1 million tons of e-waste plus 100 million tons of CO₂
> – Why it matters: Design choices made now will lock in environmental costs for decades
Tech firms at CES 2026 are touting sleek glucose monitors and blood-pressure bands, but a new study warns the sector’s explosive growth carries a hidden environmental price tag.
The Hidden Carbon Cost
A Nature paper by Cornell University and the University of Chicago finds the tiny circuit board inside each device-not its plastic shell-dominates emissions. Mining and manufacturing the board release most of the lifetime carbon before the device ever reaches a wrist.
Two Fixes on the Table
Researchers call for rapid shifts in both materials and form:
- Swap scarce gold for abundant copper in chip wiring
- Build modular shells so the circuit core can be reused while outer bands are swapped out
Study co-author:
> “When these devices are deployed at global scale, small design choices add up quickly.”
Key Takeaways
- 42× growth is projected by 2050 if trends hold
- 70% of emissions come from the circuit board alone
- Copper-based, modular designs could slash both e-waste and CO₂
- CES hype ignores the footprint hiding inside every new tracker
The next wave of wearables may look identical on the outside, but inside they’ll need a greener blueprint to keep both bodies and planet healthy.
