technofossil noun [C]
UK /ˈtek.nəʊ.ˌfɒs.ᵊl/ US /ˈtek.nəʊ.ˌfɑː.sᵊl/
an object that could remain on the Earth for a very long period after it has been thrown away and is likely to be found and studied by people in the future
“Plastic will definitely be a signature ‘technofossil’, because it is incredibly durable, we are making massive amounts of it, and it gets around the entire globe,” says the palaeontologist Prof Sarah Gabbott, a University of Leicester expert on the way that fossils form. “So wherever those future civilisations dig, they are going to find plastic. There will be a plastic signal that will wrap around the globe.”
[theguardian.com, 22 February 2025]
fast tech noun [U]
UK /ˌfɑːst ˈtek/ US /ˌfæst ˈtek/
electronic products that are made and sold cheaply, and often replaced, leading to e-waste
Demand for so-called “fast tech” – cheap electronic items often quickly binned or abandoned in drawers – is growing. Overall, consumer spending on fast tech has quadrupled to £11.6bn since 2023. The boom could be as rapid as the growth in fast fashion with a “similar negative impact”, Professor Cathrine Jansson-Boyd wrote in the announcement of the findings.
[bbc.co.uk, 25 June 2025]
See also fast fashion
digital decay noun [U]
UK /ˌdɪdʒ.ɪ.tᵊl dɪˈkeɪ/ US /ˌdɪdʒ.ə.t̬ᵊl dɪˈkeɪ/
the gradual process by which information online disappears or becomes inaccessible
Digital decay is not just a technical issue; it’s a reflection of the fragile infrastructure that supports much of the internet. According to recent research by the Pew Research Center, nearly 40% of webpages that existed a decade ago are no longer accessible.
[evolllution.com, 5 February 2025]
These words are so cool
I think all of them can be added to the dictionary!