I’ve had my phone for the last five years (I got it in August 2019), and despite endless pings from my mobile carrier, I haven’t upgraded it since. Why? First, because it still works. Second, because I know that by skipping two “eligible” upgrades during this time, I’ve saved 100-140 kg of CO2, which is what 5-7 trees absorb in one year.
Everything we do online leaves a footprint—in CO2 emissions, water usage, and natural resource consumption. In fact, the whole internet industry’s carbon footprint is currently larger than that of aviation and shipping combined. The biggest environmental impact doesn’t come from data centers or networks (Wi-Fi, cables, 5G towers, etc.). It comes from how our devices—smartphones, laptops, TVs, and smartwatches—are made.
On Black Friday, electronics continue to be in high demand, generating around 40-53% of sales, according to various estimates (RetailMeNot, Queue-It). Want to help the Earth? Skip this Black Friday and keep your electronics for a little longer.
Production: The Biggest Culprit
Most of the environmental harm caused by electronics happens before you even start using them. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), up to 80% of all digital tech’s environmental impact is linked to the manufacturing of the devices we use daily—smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, smartwatches, etc. If you upgrade your smartphone every two years (as most people do), up to 90% of the energy consumption occurs even before you purchase it! (It’s 80% for a laptop and 60% for a connected TV).
When your phone is being produced, around 43% of emissions happen during the raw materials phase—from extracting and refining materials like petroleum for plastics. A further 34% of emissions occur during manufacturing due to the electricity used in factories, much of which is powered by fossil fuels. So, even before you start using it, ¾ of its emissions have already happened.
A medium laptop generates 263 kg of CO2—it’s like flying from London to Rome. If you replace your laptop every 4 years (which is what manufacturers expect), in 16 years you’ll upgrade it four times, generating enough CO2 that it would take 52-57 trees a year to absorb.
Source: Restart Project.
By extending the lifespan of your electronics, you can significantly reduce these impacts.
The Growing E-Waste Problem
As time goes on, more and more devices are accumulating in households, many of which we don’t always need.
The trend of upgrading electronics is rapidly becoming a lifestyle choice rather than a necessity, leading to a growing issue of unnecessary e-waste.
2019: 53.6 million metric tons of electronic waste generated (UN estimates: 50 million)
2022: 62 million metric tons of electronic waste generated
2050: Projected to be 110 million metric tons of e-waste
So, what happens when your phone isn’t as fancy anymore, or it takes a bit longer to load, or the battery won’t hold a charge? You get rid of it—best case scenario, you trade it in to your existing provider. Currently, less than one-fifth of devices are recycled (estimates vary between 17-21%). The rest, filled with valuable materials, are either dumped, burned, or shipped to developing countries, leaving them to deal with the recycling.
Europe currently generates the highest amount of e-waste per person, with an average of 17.6 kg of e-waste for every resident. While in the EU, companies are required by law to pay e-waste fees for the products they put on the market, they aren’t obliged to do anything once these devices are sent to other parts of the world (which happens with 60% of European e-waste).
Once shipped to the “Global South,” where users can’t afford new devices, the remaining lifetime of second-hand electronics is much shorter. These countries then face relatively higher amounts of e-waste compared to electronics users in the EU—and they have no systems in place to handle it. As a result, valuable raw materials are extracted under inhumane and unhealthy working conditions, causing pollution in the local environment.
The rapid penetration of AI will further exacerbate the e-waste problem. By 2030, AI technology is expected to generate enough waste to be equivalent to discarding between 2.1 and 13.3 billion units of the iPhone 15 Pro (weighing 187g each). This is due to the need for more powerful devices to process AI algorithms and the rapid wear and tear of parts in data centers.
What You Can Do
Before you upgrade or buy a new device, ask yourself:
Do I really need a new connected device, or can I make do with what I have?
Can I repair my current device or buy a second-hand one?
If you absolutely have to have that new gadget, make sure that it:
Has a battery that can be replaced (i.e., it’s not glued to the phone).
Has a good repairability index, ensuring it lasts longer (if there's no information about it from the provider, just look up reviews).
Has been produced with fewer emissions during the production stage (you can typically check this in the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report on the manufacturer’s website).
P.S. Respect for the environment starts with respecting ourselves—and our attention. I invite you to take part in the 5-Day Attention Detox Challenge, a fun, neuroscience-based program that helps you examine how you’re spreading your attention across digital devices and what you can do to minimize distractions.
Next dates: December 1st-5th, sign up here.
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