The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
fastcodesign.com
The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
1–10 of 67 posts
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#2Maybe a refund for consumers plus a collection fee for institutions would be an incentive to recycle, for both individuals and businesses. Your phone breaks, you take it to the supermarket, they give you $10, they send in the IMEI or some other unique code and get $12 in return.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#3I would love to be able to just buy a new phone battery and keep mw phone going longer. But I do not want to have to go through a complex taking apart process that may result in destroying it.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#4The math is pretty poor in this article. Information and Communication Tech represents only 3% of global carbon emissions, and most of that is from giant server farms.
This other article states that the embodied CO2 in a cellphone is roughly equivalent to 1kg of beef. That's like three steaks.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/20...
The bigger emissions problems around electricity generation and transportation are where we should be focusing our attention.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#5Seems like the easiest fix would be to mandate the same charging cable for all phones (no dongles) and user replaceable batteries that require no tools to change.
With those two simple tweaks it would be much easier to keep a phone for 3 or more years. My google pixel seems like it could easily last for many years with it's quad core, 128GB storage, 4GB ram, and 2560x1440 display. Lets be honest, for most uses that's plenty for many years to come.
But already the battery is not as good as it was new and it's only going to get worse.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#6Seems like the easiest fix would be to mandate the same charging cable for all phones (no dongles) and user replaceable batteries that require no tools to change. With those two simple tweaks it would be much easier to keep a phone for 3 or more years. My google pixel seems like it could easily last for many years with it's quad core, 128GB storage, 4GB ram, and 2560x1440 display. Lets be honest, for most uses that's…
Chinese smartphone sales have dropped dramatically this year. Mostly as smartphones have reached a point where upgrading cost vs return is no longer worth it for many. I really wanted Googles modular phone to be a successful but it died very quickly even before release otherwise that would have been a great way to upgrade parts without disposing old phones and creating waste.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#7Maybe a refund for consumers plus a collection fee for institutions would be an incentive to recycle, for both individuals and businesses. Your phone breaks, you take it to the supermarket, they give you $10, they send in the IMEI or some other unique code and get $12 in return.
Recycling just isn't a substitute; it's far less effective. You're supposed to reduce, reuse, and then, if neither is possible, recycle... in that order.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#8Seems like the easiest fix would be to mandate the same charging cable for all phones (no dongles) and user replaceable batteries that require no tools to change. With those two simple tweaks it would be much easier to keep a phone for 3 or more years. My google pixel seems like it could easily last for many years with it's quad core, 128GB storage, 4GB ram, and 2560x1440 display. Lets be honest, for most uses that's…
> Seems like the easiest fix would be to mandate the same charging cable for all phones (no dongles) and user replaceable batteries that require no tools to change.
We are not heading towards that direction. Newer phones don't have removable batteries, as it's not a good business strategy. You are not supposed to keep a phone for many years either, because planned obsolescence is a desired thing from the perspective of these companies.
I remember people telling Logitech that their mice were still functional after 12 years, and they admitted it was a mistake on their part, and if you consider it from their perspective, it truly is.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#9the planet != the environment.
the planet will survive, it will just suffocate us and some other life will take over.
Re: The environmental impact of technology devices is getting worse
#10I would love to be able to just buy a new phone battery and keep mw phone going longer. But I do not want to have to go through a complex taking apart process that may result in destroying it.
Plenty of manufacturers offer battery upgrade programmes, the one form Apple is even reasonably affordable these days. Plus there are third party upgraders that will do it for you for popular models. You do need to bear this requirement in mind when buying though.