Technology is more important to our daily lives than ever, but every device we create and use comes at a cost for our planet. From extracting the raw materials needed to build our products and devices, to manufacturing and transporting them – even keeping them charged – every step creates carbon emissions.
Did you know more than 50 different materials are found in a smartphone, including precious metals and elements? Mining these materials and elements requires water and can damage natural habitats, placing ever more pressure on our planet.
Once we’ve used and enjoyed our tech we often then get rid of those products, either by putting them in a drawer and forgetting about them, or sticking them in the bin or in landfill, rather than finding ways to make sure they can go on and have a useful second – or even third – life. When we get rid of electronics like this it becomes e-waste. That means we miss out on the opportunity to reuse our products, and the precious metals and materials in our devices. It also means we are reliant on making new tech to meet our needs.
With 80% of the carbon emissions of each new device occurring during its manufacture, not reusing what we already have, when it makes sense to do so, means we lose out of reducing the impact of the tech that we all enjoy.
