As useful as smartphones are in our day-to-day life, they also have a considerable impact on the environment and carbon emissions.
An estimated 5 billion phones are thrown away each year and each smartphone produces an estimated 93 kg of CO2 over its lifecycle—a massive amount when you consider how many billions of phones are in use.
The tech industry working hard to reduce the environmental impact of smartphones by using plastic-free packaging, manufacturing with eco-friendly materials, making devices more energy-efficient, and allowing phones to be more easily repaired. But everyone can also do their bit to make their smartphone use kinder to the planet.
TCL offers some tips about how you can use your devices in a more environmentally-friendly way—which may also save you some money:
1. Don’t rush to upgrade your device
About 80% of the total environmental impact of a smartphone occurs during the manufacturing process. As such, the biggest way to reduce emissions is to make your phone last as long as possible. If your phone breaks, try to get it fixed before buying a new one. Keep the phone in a durable phone case to protect it from damage.
2. Upcycle or trade your smartphone in to keep it in the market
If your phone is still in good working condition when you get a new one, don’t just leave it in the drawer or throw it in the bin. See if your dealer will allow you to trade it in to get a cash discount on your new purchase. You can also give the smartphone to a charity or someone who can’t afford a phone of their own or sell it privately. Another option is to repurpose your old smartphones as security cameras, remote controls, or music players.
3. Recycle an obsolete or unusable phone
If it’s not viable to repair or give a phone away, don’t let it end up in a landfill somewhere. You can still hand it in to a specialist e-waste company to be recycled. Valuable components and materials will be stripped from the device. Any hazardous materials will be safely disposed of, so they don’t contaminate the ground.
4. Smarter charging practices
You can reduce your phone’s energy consumption and improve the lifespan of your battery by unplugging your charger when not in use. This avoids the issue of phantom energy consumption when your device is fully charged and not in active use. Consider charging your phone from your car battery as you drive or from solar (if you have it) rather than always using the power grid. Use power-saving modes to reduce energy use and extend battery life.
5. Be ecowise when choosing accessories
When you buy accessories like chargers, cases and headphones, pick those made from recycled or biodegradable materials. Buy quality over quantity—cheap accessories often break quickly and end up in landfills.