Our Commitment to Reducing Waste

Think about all the electronic devices in your home. They range from mobile devices to TVs to PCs to smart speakers. However, all these devices have “expiration dates” – the date after which their functionality erodes, or the device is damaged and is no longer usable.

What do we do with these devices? We discard them.

We live in disposable societies where products are designed to be discarded. This is in part due to profit margin pressures where low quality products result in higher profit margins. It is also due to manufacturing and development that is driven by a replacement mentality – meaning that when the product is no longer fit for purpose, another product will be available to replace it.

Electronic devices are disposable for many reasons, one of which is the economics of the device itself. It is often cheaper to dispose of an older device, replacing it with a newer higher functioning option, than it is to repair the existing one. However, this disposable mentality has a negative environmental impact. The Global E-Waste Monitor 2020, a report produced in collaboration with the UN Environment Program, found that 53.6 million metrics tons of electronic waste was generated in 2019 and projected that 74 million metric tons would be generated in 2030. However, the impact is greater than landfills piled high with electronic gadgets. It also includes the mining and procurement of materials needed to manufacture the devices.

One approach Amino is taking to address environmental sustainability is represented by a multi-pronged approach to reducing waste.

Upcycling – Amino’s Upcycling Program leverages its investment in AminoOS to extend the life of the underlying hardware. This prevents the premature and unnecessary disposal of hardware.

Packaging – Amino is reducing the amount of paper and plastic packaging found when unboxing a set-top box. Rather than ship booklets and user guides, Amino’s recently launched H200 media player will eliminate plastic wrappers. The box itself, made from recycled paper, will provide pointers in the form of QR codes and URLs to point users to relevant user guides and other documentation.

Recycling obsolete devices – Future plans include recycling returned the plastic cases from Kamai series devices into R-series chassis – further reducing the volume of plastics ending up in landfills.

As we recognize the 52^nd Earth Day on April 23, Amino and its employees continue to seek opportunities to reduce waste and improve environment sustainability at work, at home and at play.