Between 1970 and 1990, the invention of the microprocessor, the expansion of computing and the emergence of the internet transformed the world and multiplied the environmental challenges of electronic consumption.
From 1970 to 1990, humanity entered the digital age. The transistor evolved into the microprocessor, the electronic brain that unified thousands of components on a single chip. This invention revolutionised electronics, made personal computers possible and launched the accelerated cycle of technological innovation that shapes the twenty-first century. Yet alongside the progress came new environmental impacts as well: the beginning of electronic waste on a global scale.
In 1971, Intel launched the 4004, the first commercial microprocessor, followed by the 8008 and 8080 models. This small silicon chip replaced entire circuits of valves and discrete transistors. Miniaturisation reduced energy consumption and production costs, but chip manufacturing introduced the intensive use of chemicals, heavy metals and solvents. Each silicon wafer required large volumes of ultrapure water and energy: an environmental liability still poorly understood at the time.
In the late 1970s, companies such as Apple, IBM and Commodore released the first personal computers. The Apple II and the IBM PC made digital processing accessible to millions of people. The computer stopped being a corporate tool and entered schools and homes. However, the rapid growth of production brought a new problem: premature technical obsolescence. Equipment was replaced within a few years, generating mountains of waste with no proper destination.
Around the same time, colour television established itself as the main global communication medium. The advance of cathode-ray tubes and the PAL-M standard in Brazil popularised audiovisual entertainment. The launch of the video cassette recorder (VHS) made it possible to record and play back content at home. Millions of plastic tapes, made with polyester and iron oxide, formed a new category of electronic waste. Their improper disposal released chemical compounds into soil and water.
The advance of microelectronics intensified the use of rare metals such as gold, palladium and tantalum, essential for electrical contacts and capacitors. The mining of these elements, often carried out without environmental control, devastated ecosystems in South America and Africa. The electronics sector became one of the largest consumers of electricity, especially in semiconductor plants, which required conditions of extreme purity and cooling.
The 1970s and 1980s also marked the emergence of digital telecommunications. Optical fibres replaced copper cables, allowing faster and more economical transmissions. ARPANET, the experimental network of the US Department of Defense, gave rise to the internet. This global interconnection transformed the exchange of information and paved the way for the digital society, but it also multiplied the demand for hardware and servers, increasing the sector's energy footprint.
Until the end of the 1980s, there were no technology recycling policies. Computers, monitors and televisions were discarded as ordinary waste. Picture tubes contained lead and toxic phosphor, and circuit boards released heavy metals when burned. Large volumes of waste were exported to developing countries, where they were dismantled by hand, without environmental or occupational protection.
From the Stockholm Conference in 1972 onwards, the world began to discuss environmental responsibility. In the 1980s, the first studies on the impacts of electronic waste appeared. Organisations and universities began to warn of the need to recycle and reuse metals. The awareness that technology needed to be sustainable was gaining strength, albeit slowly.
During this period, the use of thermoset plastics and epoxies in printed circuit boards expanded. These materials, non-recyclable and heat-resistant, increased the durability of equipment but also made the dismantling and recovery of components more difficult. The combination of complex materials introduced the technical challenge of modern electronics recycling.
Between 1970 and 1990, electronics transformed the economy and the global way of life. Personal computers, video, networks and telecommunications created the connected world we know. Nevertheless, progress came with lasting environmental impacts: high energy consumption, intensive mining and improper disposal. The period teaches us that innovation without environmental planning is unsustainable. Ecobraz's Virtual Museum of Electronics preserves this memory so that the future of technology can be cleaner and more conscious.