Full Report
Researchers warn that a looming crisis in IoT battery waste is set to see up to 78 million batteries discarded daily by 2025.
Analysis Summary
# Main Topic
A looming crisis concerning the massive disposal of batteries from Internet of Things (IoT) devices, projected to reach up to 78 million batteries discarded daily by 2025, as warned by researchers.
## Key Points
- The volume of discarded IoT batteries is expected to reach an unsustainable level of up to 78 million units per day by the year 2025.
- This forecasted surge contributes significantly to the growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste).
- The article references external research/reports indicating this impending scale of waste.
- Potential solutions mentioned include the adoption of wireless power technology and ultra-low power Wi-Fi connectivity chips.
- One specific example of mitigation involves wireless power solutions offering up to 25-year battery life for low-power sensors.
## Threat Actors
- Not applicable. This report focuses on an environmental and sustainability threat resulting from technology adoption, not malicious cyber threat actors.
## TTPs
- Not applicable. This threat is related to hardware lifecycle management and waste generation, not cyber attack techniques.
## Affected Systems
- Internet of Things (IoT) devices employing batteries.
- Low-power sensors utilizing battery technology.
## Mitigations
- Implementation of wireless power-over-distance charging solutions (e.g., RF power-over-distance charging).
- Adoption of high-performance inductive charging systems.
- Use of long-life sensors (up to 25-year battery life cited).
- Utilizing ultra-low power Wi-Fi connectivity chips.
- Exploring energy harvesting system technologies.
## Conclusion
The primary concern is the severe environmental impact resulting from the rapid, projected growth in disposable batteries powering IoT devices. Threat mitigation efforts should focus on transitioning to sustainable power sources for IoT deployments, such as long-life batteries, energy harvesting, and wide-scale adoption of wireless power transfer solutions to reduce daily battery waste significantly.