University of Chicago and Cornell University researchers analyzed wearable health care electronics and reported carbon impacts of 1.1–6.1 kg CO2-equivalent per device. With global device consumption projected to rise 42-fold by 2050, approaching 2 billion units annually, their moderate projection adds 3.4 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions alongside ecotoxicity and e-waste.
The hidden carbon footprint of wearable health care
