The economy of technological waste.

The management of technological waste is not just a challenge—it's one of the most lucrative industries of the future. As the world accelerates into a digital era marked by the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, our reliance on technology is skyrocketing. Each click, stream, and upload produces data—and data, like plastic or metal, becomes a form of waste once its utility is expired.

Enter cloud technology: the modern "dustbin" of digital waste. But unlike landfills, this dustbin is an intelligent, ever-expanding space that offers economic opportunities in data centers, cybersecurity, cooling systems, and renewable energy to power them.

Meanwhile, we stand at the intersection of two revolutions—digital and ecological. Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer a niche; they are the future. Studies forecast that by 2035, over 80% of new vehicles sold globally will be electric. At the same time, solar energy adoption is surging, transforming rooftops into decentralized power stations. However, each EV battery and solar panel has a lifecycle—and at the end of that cycle lies another goldmine: recycling.

The hidden gem is not always in the product, but in the components required for its production—and in the systems that manage its afterlife. We need what might be called after-product services: recycling lithium, reusing rare earth elements, repurposing solar cells, and maintaining massive data infrastructures.

Consider Elon Musk's Starlink: it's light-years ahead, like Bitcoin during its infancy—too far for some to catch just yet. But while some countries race to space, others are laying fibre optic cables—slower, perhaps, but necessary groundwork. And when Musk reaches Mars, we can only imagine what technological leap comes next. He’s ahead because he understands the power of positioning not just at the cutting edge, but also around it—owning the tools that enable the future.

Closer to Earth, renewable energy is also transforming agriculture. Technologies like hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics are redefining how we grow food, using less land, less water, and clean energy. Solar-powered irrigation systems, AI-driven crop monitoring, and vertical farming integrated with smart grids are reshaping food security, especially in regions facing climate stress. Imagine Africa becoming the global center for exporting these renewable agriculture systems—or better, manufacturing the systems themselves.

Africa, with its vast deposits of critical minerals—cobalt, lithium, copper—is uniquely positioned. But rather than simply exporting raw materials, Africa can pivot toward manufacturing the components that power green tech: solar panels, wind turbine parts, battery packs, semiconductors. Taiwan became a global tech giant by mastering semiconductors. Africa can do the same with renewables and recycling.

The continent's ability to handle global waste—not as a dumping ground, but as a processing zone—can become a strategic advantage. If Africa becomes the hub for recycling tech waste and transforming it into new value, it doesn’t just follow the green revolution; it leads it.

Of course, this requires governance reform. Waste is not just physical—corruption is also a form of systemic waste. But even here lies potential. If we redirect wasteful expenditures toward circular economies, Africa can turn its love for “waste” into one of the most sustainable and profitable ventures of the 21st century.

The message to COPs and climate summits is clear: Focus not only on reducing pollution, but on how to recycle and monetize it. Civilization, by nature, pollutes. But it’s how we process our waste—digital, physical, political—that defines our legacy.

“Let the one who does not use the toilet lift their right hand.” Waste is universal. The question is—what do we do with it?

Marius Y. M. C. Oula