Too cheap to matter: over abundant microchips, and what we can learn from them

Abstract

Ultra-cheap microchips (<$1) are so abundant they've become a 'smart material' integrated and disposable in everyday things. Hidden in our everyday products, we have entirely lost sight of them, yet they account for the vast majority of the >400 billion pieces sold each year. As new technology nodes are released, older ones (from as far back as the 1980s) continue to be produced. These microchips do not exist on their own; they are packaged into every possible item to bring 'smartness', necessary or not; this simultaneously increases their obsolescence. While the latest ICs power our data centres and AI revolution that draws our attention, what about technology so disposable that it has become entirely invisible? We report on our workshop at ICT4S exploring these devices' true costs, and pose challenges to the LOCO community to push back on this system, and develop the skills necessary to create lasting technology and avoid further e-Waste.

5 pages, 10 figures. Accepted at the 2nd International Workshop on Low Carbon Computing (LOCO 2026), Lancaster University, United Kingdom, 10-11 September 2026. Part of the LOCO 2026 proceedings, arXiv:LOCO2026/P11