The PC market faces an unprecedented environmental challenge. As Microsoft pivots to Windows 11, a growing concern hangs over the fate of millions of devices currently in use.
Windows 11, the successor to Windows 10, is presented as a beacon of hope in a PC market struggling to stay afloat. However, this transition has a dark side: the risk of turning 240 million PCs into electronic waste. This figure, provided by Canalyshighlights the magnitude of the problem, The end of Windows 10 will have an unprecedented environmental impact.
The end of support for Windows 10, scheduled for October 14, 2025, marks a crucial date. TO From then on, a fifth of current devices will be incompatible with Windows 11which drastically limits their possibilities of being reconditioned and reused.
The scale of potential waste faced is immense. Despite increasing recycling capabilities, the reuse value of these devices plummets due to their incompatibility with Windows 11.
The problem is not limited to the environmental aspect. Microsoft’s decision also raises significant challenges in terms of digital equity. These 240 million computers (PCs), although technically still functional, will quickly lose their demand in the market due to the lack of free and continuous security updates.
Microsoft has responded by offering extended security updates for Windows 10 through October 2028, although at an as-yet unspecified cost. This extended support model, similar to that previously applied for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, could extend the life of PCs not eligible for Windows 11, but at a potentially prohibitive price.
There is no specific regulation for recycling computers, unlike tablets and mobile phones.
However, as of today, there are no regulations driving this change in the PC market, unlike the upcoming EU regulation for smartphones and tablets. Cross-industry collaboration appears to be the only viable solution to the persistent e-waste problem.
While Windows 11 is emerging as a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the PC market, the imminent obsolescence of Windows 10 raises serious environmental and digital equity concerns.
