Smart watches are great for looking after human health, but aren’t so good for the planet, with disposal preferable to repair in almost all designs. But why are some of our smallest devices creating an outsized climate problem, and can repairability be designed in?
Using smartwatches as a test case, Georgia Rolfe, from Cambridge Consultants, explores how short product lifespans, sealed batteries, and non‑repairable designs are driving hidden emissions and e‑waste, and why this is about system design, not consumer behavior.
We’ll share a commercially realistic concept that shows how fully repairable, user‑replaceable, premium wearables are possible today, without compromising waterproofing, aesthetics, or experience. The session will look beyond hardware to the role of regulation, UX, refurbishment, and business models in making circularity work at scale.
If we can crack repairability in one of the smallest, most complex products on the market, what could this mean for the rest of consumer tech?
