Introductory Chapter: Advances in Green Electronics Technologies in 2023

1. Introduction

Green computing was started in 1992 and was named Energy Star. In the last decade, computing devices have become a large part of our daily life. Every person has more than one cellular and computing device. There are on our planet milliards of computing networks and devices that consume a huge amount of electrical energy. By designing and manufacturing energy-efficient computing devices, servers, and laptops, we can minimize air and water pollution. One of the main goals of electrical and computer engineers should be to evaluate and manufacture green computing devices, servers, laptops, and tablets. Moreover, disposing and recycling unwanted computing instruments and electronic devices is important in creating a green planet. Every person can contribute to green computing by environmentally responsible use of computing devices and cellular phones.

1.1 Personal contribution to green computing

• Everyone can buy energy-efficient laptops, computers, and other computing devices. Use computing devices that have been awarded a valid certificate of high energy efficiency.

• Everyone can turn off his laptop and computer when not using the computing device.

• Turn the brightness down of the computing devices when they are not being used. Wireless devices, computing devices, tablets, and laptops consume electrical energy in standby mode. Leaving them on but not in use will still drain the device’s battery.

• Printers consume a lot of electrical power. Print when necessary and recycle papers. Everyone can employ digital correspondence through file-sharing services and email.

• By using updated software and drivers, we can reduce the electrical power consumption of computing devices. This will ensure that the computing devices run at optimal energy efficiency and reduces the time and power required to complete computing tasks.

• Recycling of computing devices and electronic products contributes to the green environment.

Green computing may be considered the study, development, design, engineering, research, production, use, and disposal of computing devices and networks to reduce environmental hazards, energy consumption, and environmental pollution. Computer research, designers, developers, manufacturing companies, and vendors are investing in developing green computing networks and modules by reducing the use of hazardous materials and using improved recycling processes for computing modules and devices. Green computing is known as green information technology (green IT).

In 1992 EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, started the Energy Star project that initiated green computing research and practice.

Green computing main topics and initiatives:

• Energy Consumption: Minimizing the electrical energy consumption of computing networks and other computing devices and employing them in an eco-friendly manner.

• Green disposal: Disposing and recycling, unwanted computing modules, laptops, tablets, and other computing devices.

• Green development and design: Evaluating and designing energy-efficient computing networks and devices, servers, printers, and other computing devices. Energy harvesting technologies minimize the electrical energy consumption of computing networks and other computing devices.

• Green manufacturing: Recycling computing devices, computing modules and electronic components, and cellular phones during the manufacturing of computing networks, laptops, and their peripheral devices. Minimizing waste during manufacturing computing networks, computers, and other computing subsystems to minimize environmental pollution because of these activities.

The book presents new topics and innovations in green computing technologies that can be applied in green computing and electronic industries. The book presents the major topics in green computing and electronic technologies such as renewable energy, green energy, green healthcare, waste, and green computing.

In 2023 Green Computing should be used to protect the world from air and water pollution. In the last decade, the world suffered from severe changes in temperature and climate, air, and water pollution, ocean pollution, and sea pollution. Many countries suffer from severe droughts, seawater pollution, seawater levels rise because of the earth’s temperature rise, and severe droughts cause depletion of groundwater reserves, sea pollution, air pollution, and river pollution. Climate changes cause the rapid spread of diseases, viruses, and the extinction of animal species. These changes are almost irreversible. The computing and electronic industry, trucks and cars industry, and the cellular phones industry in the last decade depleted and ruined the universe’s natural resources. Dangerous chemicals and toxins that pollute air, water, seawater, and groundwater are part of computers and electronic waste. These dangerous chemicals cannot be removed from food products such as fruit, fish, and vegetables. These dangerous chemicals can be found in food crops, crops grown on polluted soil, fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat. Polluted air, water, and climate changes affect grownups and children’s health. Dangerous chemicals and plastic waste kill our world’s ocean and sea habitats. Chemical toxins, plastic waste, and other hazardous materials kill birds, fish, and other animals. Fishes and other animals swallow plastic waste, and these creatures become contaminated, and plastic particles are making their way into our daily food chain. The contaminated animals, fishes, and other creatures are served in our food and reach our bodies. Green computing networks, electronic waste management, recycling, green electronic devices, and renewable energy are important challenges and important topics in green technologies.

2. Green computing networks and green electronics technologies

Green computing has an important positive impact on protecting the environment. The information and communication technology industries are responsible for 2% to up to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Due to this fact, green electronics and computing engineering have been in continuous growth in the last decade. Moreover, cellular communication, communication, electronics, and computing industries are facing increasing pressure from governments and legislative institutes to remove toxic and hazardous materials from their products. There is a worldwide environmental movement to use green energy, green materials, and green components in the production of communication, electronic devices, and computers. The energy demands and carbon emissions of computing and the entire communication systems must be dramatically reduced to slow climate changes and to avoid catastrophic environmental disaster. The use of toxic and hazardous materials such as cooper, lead, plastic materials, and other toxic materials is limited or not permitted to minimize pollution and to improve recycling process. Green computing seeks to reduce the carbon emission price tag. When computing system designers take steps to reduce the amount of energy that each module uses to reduce the amount of heat those modules produce, the carbon price tag of computing systems may be reduced considerably. Moreover, computing system designers should increase the life cycle of computing devices and components, so they do not need to be replaced frequently. Computing system designers should increase users’ ability to reuse computing products and design recyclable components and modules when they should be replaced.

2.1 Main objectives and activities in green computing and electronics

• Employing Green renewable energy.

• The key goal of green computing is to reduce energy consumption and carbon emission.

• Using efficient computing networks and minimization of energy consumption.

• Using green materials and avoiding hazardous materials.

• Developing proper algorithms to improve the computer’s efficiency

• Taking care of computer and electronic waste

• Recycling computers and electronic waste

2.1.1 How to achieve green computing

By applying the following steps green computing and energy efficiency in data centers and other IT centers may be improved.

• Install building green environment systems that are energy efficient, such as solar and renewable energy.

• Install fans throughout computing systems racks to reduce heat.

• Install overhead lighting with low energy consumption with timers or motion detectors to control light switches and reduce the time lights that is used.

• Buy and use energy-efficient servers, laptops, switches, desktop systems, printers, and scanners and other electronic and communication equipment.

• Install energy-efficient windows and doors that have reflective glass to reduce heat.

• Turn off computing systems that are not performing scheduled work.

• Use refillable computing systems and devices.

3. Green computing services and cloud storage

3.1 Green cloud computing services

Cloud computing is an on-demand internet computing service that provides shared computer facilities, data storage to computing devices, servers, and computer processing facilities. Cloud computing is based on sharing computing facilities such as servers, computer networks, data storage devices, computing applications, and other services. This service provides access to a shared pool of configurable computing systems such as servers, computers, data storage computing devices, and other services. Cloud computing services can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort. Cloud computing and storage solutions provide users and organizations with several capabilities to store and process their data in private cloud computing data centers. Cloud computing allows organizations and companies to get faster computing services and minimize high infrastructure costs such as expensive software costs and servers. Cloud computing allows companies to get their applications up and run with better manageability and less computing maintenance costs. Cloud computing information teams can easily adjust computing resources to perform unpredictable computing business tasks. Cloud computing applies high-performance computing power to perform tens of trillions of computations per second. By using cloud computing services, companies and organizations can focus on their core activities instead of spending money, time, and staff on computer facilities. Cloud computing and storage solutions cut companies’ and organizations’ energy consumption.

3.2 Cloud computing storage

Cloud storage provides companies with greener computing services. Cloud computing storage cuts companies’ and organizations’ energy consumption and computing expenses. By using cloud storage, purchasing additional storage capacity is minimized and storage maintenance tasks and expenses are reduced. Cloud storage is a service package in which data is stored, managed, backed up remotely, and made available to users over a network and internet services. Cloud storage is based on a virtualized infrastructure with accessible interfaces. Cloud-based data is stored in servers located in data centers managed by a cloud provider. A file and its associated metadata are stored in the server by using an object storage protocol. The server assigns an identification number, ID, to each stored file. When the file needs to be retrieved, the user presents the ID to the system, and the content is assembled with all its metadata, authentication, and security. The most common use of cloud services is cloud backup, disaster recovery, and archiving of infrequently accessed data. Cloud storage providers are responsible for keeping the data available and accessible and the physical environment protected and running. People and organizations buy or lease storage capacity from the providers to store and archive data files. Cloud storage services may be accessed via cloud computers and web services that use application programming interfaces, API, such as cloud desktop storage and cloud storage gateways. There are three main cloud-based storage architecture models public, private, and hybrid.

3.3 Importance of cloud computing storage

• Cloud storage provides companies with greener computing services.

• Cloud computing storage cuts companies’ and organizations’ energy consumption and computing expenses. Cloud storage provides users with immediate access to a broad range of resources and applications hosted in the infrastructure of another web service interface.

• Cloud computing storage can provide the benefits of rapid deployment, greater accessibility, strong protection for data backup, archival and disaster recovery purposes, and reliability.

• Cloud computing storage uses at least two backup servers located in different places around the globe. Cloud computing storage is used as a natural disaster-proof backup.

• Cloud computing storage may be used for copying virtual machine images from the cloud to a desired location or to import a virtual machine image from any designated location. Cloud storage services provide data protection and storage availability. Additional technology computing efforts and cost to ensure data availability and protection of data storage are eliminated.

3.4 Drawbacks of cloud computing storage

• By using cloud computing storage, the security level of the stored data is decreased.

• By using cloud computing storage, the risk of unauthorized physical access to the data is increased.

• By using cloud-based architecture, data is replicated and moved frequently, so the risk of unauthorized data recovery increases drastically.

• Cloud computing storage increases the number of networks that the data is transferred over them.

• Data stored on a cloud requires a wide area network.

• Data privacy may decrease because cloud storage companies have many customers and thousands of servers. Therefore, computing staff may access almost all the data at the entire facility. Encryption keys that the service user keeps limiting the access to data by service provider employees. An amount, of keys, have to be distributed to users via secure channels for decryption. The keys should be securely stored and managed by the users in their devices. Storing these keys requires expensive secure storage.

• Cloud computing storage is a rich resource for both hackers and national security agencies. The cloud store data from many different users and organizations. Hackers see it as a valuable target.

• Cloud storage companies faced lawsuits from the owners of the intellectual property uploaded and shared on the site. Piracy and copyright problems may be enabled by sites that permit file sharing.

• Cloud storage companies can go bankrupt or be purchased by larger foreign companies, and they may suffer from an irrecoverable disaster.

4. Innovation in green renewable energy 2023

Examples of green renewable energy are solar energy, water energy, wind energy, and biological fuel. Natural resources like light, waterfalls, wind, and electromagnetic energy, are used to produce green renewable energy. According to the International Energy Agency, IEA, main markets like the United States, China, and Europe will help solar power production to reach 125GW capacity per year from now until 2025.

4.1 Solar energy

The sun is an infinite source of light and solar energy. Solar panels and cells convert solar energy from natural light into electrical energy through photovoltaics. Using solar energy to generate electricity minimizes the consumption of coal, fuel, and gasoline. Using solar energy results in a huge reduction in air, water, and environmental pollution. Figure 1 presents thin solar panels on a roof. Innovative low-cost ways solar energy is being used to enhance our daily lives are presented below. Streetlights – The sun charges the batteries during the day, which then powers light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at night to illuminate the streets. Several cities are incorporating smart sensors into streetlights that can even direct drivers to open parking spaces and help first responders during emergency situations. More cities across the world are powering streetlights with solar energy. Using internet-linked sensors with solar-powered streetlights saves both time and money.

Figure 1.

Thin solar panels on a roof.

4.1.1 Cell phone charger

Portable solar panels, the size of a tablet, can charge cell phones, GPS trackers, tablets, and laptops. USB cell phone chargers can charge a phone to almost full after 2 hours of exposure to solar energy. They can be hooked on backpacks to collect UV sunlight as we walk, making them ideal for outdoor activities.

4.1.2 Vaccine refrigerators

Private companies have been manufacturing solar-powered vaccine refrigerators so healthcare workers in remote areas such as Africa can administer critical medication to those who need it. In developing countries, 24-hour electricity is not guaranteed, and in many cases, there is no electrical grid. This technology solution saved lives for more than 30 years.

4.1.3 Ovens

Solar ovens, called solar cookers, reflect the sun’s energy to cook food. Solar ovens can be parabolic or square lined with a reflective material that directs the solar energy into the box, which heats the food evenly. The lid on top is typically made from glass to better focus the sun’s energy. They are ideal for off-grid living and are used in developing countries and in outdoor activities. These ovens reduce air pollution that results from burning fuel.

Advantages of Green Solar Energy

• Solar energy is environmentally friendly and does not emit greenhouse gases.

• Solar energy is a clean green energy. Solar energy does not result in the destruction of forests and the environment that occurs with many fossil fuel operations.

• Solar energy offers decentralization of power.

• Solar energy does not rely on constantly mining raw materials such as coal and fuel.

• Solar cells and panels produced today carry up to 30 years of warranty.

• Solar light is a free natural resource and is not degradable.

• Solar energy does not require expensive raw materials like coal, oil, or gasoline. Production of solar energy requires drastically lower operational labor than conventional power production.

• Oil, gasoline, and coal used to produce conventional electricity should be constantly extracted, refined, and transported to the power plant.

• Oil, gasoline, and coal, used to produce electricity, are often transported cross-country or internationally. This transportation has additional costs, including monetary costs, and pollution costs of transport. These costs are avoided with solar energy.

• If the organization, house, or company has no connection to the government electricity facility, it is called an off-grid connection. In this case, the house, organization, facility, company, or community relies only on solar energy. The ability to produce electricity off the grid is a major advantage of solar energy for isolated communities, facilities, and rural areas. “On-grid” means if the house remains connected to the government electricity facility, it is called on grid connection. Solar energy can be produced on or off the grid. Installing power long power lines is significantly difficult and very expensive in these rural areas.

• The sun is a free unlimited commodity that can be sourced from several locations. One of the major advantages of solar energy is the ability to avoid the linkage between political status and energy prices. However, in the fuel markets, there is a strong linkage between political status and energy prices. Solar energy prices are less affected by price manipulations of political status, war, and international relations. Politics status manipulations doubled the price of fuel in the past two decades.

Disadvantage of Solar Energy

• Solar energy cannot be produced at night or in foggy areas. Depending on the weather and sunlight.

• Solar energy installation and maintenance are expensive.

• Solar energy panels consume large area zones.

• Solar energy development and production are expensive.

• The efficiency of solar energy production is relatively low compared to traditional electricity production. The efficiency of solar cells and panels is less than 40%.

• Solar electricity storage technology is expensive and is more appropriate for small houses.

4.2 Wind energy

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy that has gained significant attention in the last 30 years as a potential solution to the world’s increasing energy demands. The natural power of the wind can be used to generate electricity without producing harmful emissions like fuel and other toxic energy sources. Cumulative wind capacity worldwide increased from around 20,000 megawatts to more than 500,000 megawatts in the last 15 years. International green organization efforts to minimize climate changes, such as the 2015 Paris treaty, green renewable energy is continuously growing. Wind energy is a popular renewable source of energy that has a minor impact on the environment compared to producing energy by using coal or fuel. Wind power uses the strong wind flow to provide mechanical power through wind turbines to turn electric generators to produce electrical power. Wind kinetic power is used to operate electric turbines and windmills. Windmills cannot be operated in residential areas. Wind energy farms are usually located offshore or on high mountains. When the wind blows, the turbine’s blades spin clockwise, capturing energy. The main shaft of the wind turbine, connected to a gearbox within the nacelle, is triggered to spin when the wind blows. The gearbox sends the wind energy by the gearbox to the generator. Wind power is converted to electricity. Offshore wind turbines provide steady, reliable clean energy in many countries. Figure 2 presents wind energy turbines. Figure 2a presents a country wind energy farm. Figure 2b presents an offshore wind energy site. The main advantage of wind energy, in several countries, is that wind is a clean, reliable free source of renewable energy with no air or water pollution. Wind energy turbines are ugly and noisy. A disadvantage of wind energy is that the wind turbines rotating blades kill birds, bats, and other protected birds.

Figure 2.

(a) Country wind energy farm (b) offshore wind energy site.

Advantage of Wind Energy

• Wind energy is a green and clean energy that does not directly emit CO₂ or greenhouse gases.

• Wind energy is plentiful, readily available, and does not deplete our valuable natural resources.

• Not degradable.

• Wind power is cost-effective in many regions. Wind energy is cheap.

• Wind energy offers decentralization of power.

• Wind energy is environmentally friendly. Wind energy does not rely on constantly mining raw materials. Wind energy does not result in the destruction of forests and ecosystems that occurs with many fossil fuel operations.

• Wind is a free natural resource.

• Wind energy does not require expensive and ongoing raw materials like oil, coal, or gas. Wind energy requires significantly lower operational labor than conventional power production. Raw materials should not be constantly extracted, refined, and transported to the power plant.

• The wind is an unlimited free commodity that can be sourced from several locations. One of the major advantages of wind energy is the ability to bypass the linkage between political status and energy price. However, in the fuel markets, there is a strong linkage between political status and energy prices. Wind energy prices are less affected by price manipulations of political status, war, and international relations. However, political status manipulations doubled the price of fuel in the past 50 years.

• Oil, coal, and gas used to produce conventional electricity are often transported cross-country or internationally. This transportation has additional costs, including monetary costs, and pollution costs of transport. These costs are avoided with solar energy.

Disadvantage of Wind Energy

• Depend on the weather and wind velocity.

• Cannot be operated in a residential area.

• Consume a large area and is noisy. Moreover, dangerous to birds, bats, and animals.

• Development and production of wind energy sites are expensive, and land is expensive.

4.2.1 Innovation in wind energy – Vertical axis wind turbines

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are a new type of wind turbine. Unlike the traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines used for several decades, vertical-axis wind turbines have a unique design that allows them to capture wind energy from any direction. The blades of VAWTs are positioned vertically and rotate around a central axis, making them ideal for use in urban areas and other locations where wind direction is unpredictable. VAWTs have several advantages. Because of their compact design, VAWTs can be installed in various settings, including residential homes and commercial buildings, making them a viable option for decentralized energy generation. Additionally, VAWTs are generally quieter than their horizontal axis turbines, making them better for noise-sensitive environments. Researchers are investigating new materials and designs that could make VAWTs even more efficient and cost-effective. Table 1 presents the global wind farms database in May 2023.

Region	Subregion	Operating	Construction	Preconstruction
	Global Total	786,304	163,957	967,006
Africa	Northern Africa	3302	3498	21,880
	Sub-Saharan Africa	4709	949	8573
Americas	Latin America and the Caribbean	41,483	13,004	95,869
	Northern America	152,491	16,896	55,628
Asia	Central Asia	648	798	1240
	Eastern Asia	317,150	80,415	346,178
	South-eastern Asia	7304	2390	54,507
	Southern Asia	30,798	4011	14,115
	Western Asia	12,618	1155	4694
Europe	Eastern Europe	16,522	1219	13,616
	Northern Europe	58,721	17,095	195,754
	Southern Europe	48,519	6227	71,538
	Western Europe	79,814	6562	28,930
Oceania	Australia and New Zealand	12,207	9676	54,483

Table 1.

2023 global wind offshore farms database in mega Watts.

4.3 Green hydropower, water energy

In water energy sites, the water flow kinetic energy is converted to electric energy. Waterfalls and fast-running water flow may be used to produce electric energy. In the late 19th century, hydropower became a source for generating electricity. The first commercial hydroelectric power plant was built at Niagara Falls in 1879. In 1881, streetlamps in the city of Niagara Falls were powered by hydropower. Hydroelectricity can be used to store energy in the form of potential energy between two areas with different heights with pumped-storage hydroelectricity. Water is pumped uphill into cities during periods of low demand. This energy can be released to generate energy when demand is high.

In this decade, hydropower has an important role in the transition to green energy through its massive quantities of low-carbon electricity and its unmatched capabilities for providing flexibility and storage. Many hydropower plants can ramp their electricity generation up and down very rapidly compared with other power plants such as nuclear, natural gas, and coal. This makes sustainable hydropower an attractive foundation for integrating greater amounts of wind and solar power, whose output can vary depending on factors like the weather and the time of day or year. Global hydropower capacity is expected to increase by 17% between 2021 and 2030. In 2020, hydropower supplied around 17% of global electricity generation, making it the single largest energy source of low-carbon power. Hydropower output has increased by 70% over the past 20 years, but its share of the global electricity supply has held steady because of the increases in wind, solar PV, natural gas, and coal. Nonetheless, hydropower currently meets most of the electricity demand across 28 different emerging and developing countries, with a total population of 800 million.

4.4 Energy harvesting

As presented in Figure 3, the energy harvesting unit consists of an antenna, rectifying diode and circuit, and a rechargeable battery. Figure 3a presents a Circular polarized wearable active receiving sensor with energy harvesting unit. The energy harvesting unit and the radiating element provide a self-powered device. The rectifier diode converts electromagnetic energy, AC energy, to direct current (DC energy). Two types of diode rectifiers are usually used a half wave rectifier or a full wave rectifier, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. A half-wave rectifier converts only the half cycle of the positive voltage. It allows to harvest only one half of the electromagnetic wave. The efficiency of the half wave rectifier is around 41%. The bridge full wave diode rectifier circuit converts electromagnetic energy to DC energy. The bridge rectifier consists of four diodes D1 through D4. The rectifier output DC voltage, $V_{\mathit{ODC}}=2V_m/\pi$, The full wave rectifier efficiency is around 81%. Electromagnetic power amount in public centers, stadiums, hospitals, and malls may range from 1 to 5 mW/cm². The harvesting system efficiency increases as function of the RF power collected by the harvesting system as listed in Table 2. The amplifier amplifies the input power collected by the energy harvesting system and improves the efficiency of the harvesting system. Results listed in Table 2 are also presented by companies that manufacture RF energy harvesting systems, see [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. If the RF radiating sources are close to the harvesting system, the RF power collected by the harvester will be higher. A wearable medical system with energy harvesting unit is presented in Figure 3b.

Figure 3.

Sensors with RF energy harvesting unit. (a) Circular polarized active receiving sensor with energy harvesting unit. (b) Wearable medical system. (c) Dual mode energy harvesting concept.

Input power dBm	Efficiency %	Remarks
−4 to −6	8–12	Low efficiency
−3 to −2	28–32	Low efficiency
−1 to +1	48–52	Good efficiency
2–3	52–56	Good efficiency
4–5	52–56	Good efficiency
6–8	56–58	Good efficiency
9–11	60–65	Best efficiency

Table 2.

Measured harvester efficiency as function of input collected power.

The continuous growth in the production of portable RF communication systems and cellular phones increases the consumption of electrical energy and batteries. In the last 30 years, the trend to use green free space energy, such as light, electromagnetic energy, heat, vibration, muscle motion, and other energy-green sources, has become very important, attractive, and useful. Several methods, research, and inventions to produce electricity from free green energy sources have been published, see [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Electromagnetic harvesting may be useful to recharge phones and batteries only if we collect electromagnetic energy that can charge electronic devices. Energy harvesting units can eliminate the need to charge batteries by using electrical cables. It is crucial to harvest electromagnetic energy from many transmitting RF modules and systems. Multiband wideband antennas should be employed to harvest as much RF energy as possible. Due to low RF energy densities in free space, wideband efficient antennas should be developed. The antennas should radiate efficiently at a specific frequency range and polarization. To meet the RF system requirements, the antenna radiation pattern should have a wide beam width. Printed antennas were used to harvest RF energy as presented in the literature, [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. RF energy harvesting systems collect electromagnetic waves propagating in the air. This RF energy is stored and used to recharge phones, batteries, and other electrical modules. In the last 20 years, there has been a huge increase in the amount of electromagnetic energy in the air. The electromagnetic energy harvesting system operates as a Dual Mode harvesting unit. The Low Noise Amplifier, LNA, is part of the RF system. The LNA DC bias voltages are supplied by the DC unit of the RF system. The programmable array, shown in Figure 3c, consists of antennas that can harvest electromagnetic energy from around 0.15GHz up to 18GHz. The received electromagnetic energy is transformed into DC energy. The energy coupled to the built-in test port, −20 dB, may be used to recharge electronic devices, batteries, and phones.

5. Recycling

Recycling is a process that collects and processes used products and materials that otherwise can be trash. Recycling conserves raw materials and components and saves the additional energy that companies would use to produce new devices from scratch. The rapid growth in manufacturing cellular wireless communication systems, tablets, and laptops over the last 20 years has resulted in most of the universe’s population owning computers, smartphones, laptops, smart watches, I-pads, and other computing devices. In 2023, the number of unwanted computing devices and electronic devices is huge. With this big number of computing devices and phones being produced and discarded, a new environmental disaster strikes our world. Electronic and computing waste is filling up landfills and trash storage areas. This computing and electronics waste contains toxic, hazardous materials that pollute the environment and danger the health of human beings and animals. This electronics and computing waste increase air, water, and environmental pollution. Recycling computing devices, cellular phones, and laptop waste, used batteries, plastic waste, and other hazardous devices drastically decreases environmental pollution. Recycling saves original raw materials and reduces waste and pollution.

6. Challenges in green computing technologies in the next three years

We should encourage companies to use green renewable energy, green materials, and green components in the development and production of smartphones, electronic devices, and other computing devices.

We should encourage companies, organizations, and global activities to reuse and recycle computing devices, electronic waste, and old smartphones. In green computing and green electronic industries, the use of hazardous and toxic materials such as copper, lead, plastic materials, and other toxic materials should be limited to decrease air, water, and other environmental pollution. Legislators should encourage and force companies to produce green computing devices. High-Tech companies and computing device manufacturers should be encouraged to develop and produce electronic devices that are green and environmentally friendly.

6.1 Green computing and electronics technologies challenges and innovations

• Developing efficient renewable and harvesting energy for the electronic and computing industry.

• Improving the recycling process and using recycled components and devices in the manufacturing of computing and electronic devices.

• Design and development of new green materials, green computing, and electronic devices.

• Developing efficient and cheap green solar energy, wind energy, and hydropower energy.

• Developing methods to improve the Recycling process. Recycling most of the computing and electronics waste product. Developing new green plastic and packages.

• Development and production of green electrical cars, motorcycles, and airplanes.

• We should encourage legislators, leaders, people, young people, and kids to lead around the globe activities to decrease air pollution, water pollution, and climate change.