How to Be an Environmentally Responsible User of Technology
Technology is inevitable, whether it’s a smartphone in your pocket, a computer on your desk, or email in your inbox. Unfortunately, all of these gadgets and apps are also pretty dire on the environment.
Nobody is asking you to give up your technology entirely, but with a little thought and a little donation, you can reduce the amount of pollution your gadgets are causing to the world. Here are three ways to put the planet first.
Don’t change your phone every year
It’s tempting to change your smartphone every year or two when shiny new gadgets come out, but if you want to minimize your environmental impact, you should keep your current device for as long as possible.
According to a McMaster University study (via Fast Company ), up to 95 percent of a smartphone’s total CO2 emissions in two years of use comes from mining the materials needed to create it. In fact, the amount of energy required to build a new phone is pretty much the same as it takes to continuously use and recharge an old device for 10 years. Nobody is asking you to wait 10 years for the next update, but you won’t be killed for another year or two, right?
For your phone to last this long, you may need to replace the battery at least once. If you have an iPhone, you can take advantage of Apple’s current $ 29 offer for a new battery .
For Android, start by asking your phone manufacturer how much they charge for a new battery if you don’t have a warranty. You can also try a third-party service like iCracked , which offers battery replacement and screen repair. Finally, if all else fails, you can do it yourself with a little help from one of the iFixit tutorials .
Recycle old gadgets
Once it’s time to part with your current device, you’ll want to make sure it’s sent for recycling. If it still works, you can probably sell it on eBay or Craiglist and make some money. Otherwise, you can cut your losses and give it away for free.
Many retailers offer their own recycling services, including Best Buy , Amazon , Apple , Samsung , Verizon , AT&T , T-Mobile, and Sprint (you might even get some store discount from the deal). You can also try Call 2 Recycle , which collects smartphones, or just post it to Freecycle and see if someone else wants your junk online.
If you are feeling compassionate, there are many organizations out there that will use your old gadgets for a good reason. Reconnect (a partnership between Dell and Goodwill) is a solid option.The Wireless Foundation is another great service that donates refurbished phones to domestic violence organizations.
With all of these options, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a good home for your old smartphone, tablet, or computer when it’s finally time to say goodbye.
Responsible use of the cloud
Every time you store data online, whether it’s a sent email, a saved photo, or a new Facebook post, data centers are working hard to keep the cloud running. According to The New York Times , in 2010 the cloud used up 76 billion kilowatt-hours (roughly two percent of the country’s electricity), and the situation only got worse. These data centers could use up to 140 billion kilowatt-hours a year by 2020, according to a recent report from the National Council for Resource Protection .
Unfortunately, avoiding the cloud is nearly impossible. On the other hand, some of the biggest tech companies have done a good job of reducing their environmental impact over the past few years.
In 2014, Time reported that the bulk of the electricity used for Amazon’s data centers, which power its own website and other services such as Netflix, relies heavily on coal-fired power. But by 2016, Amazon said its cloud is 40 percent renewable, with plans to reach 50 percent by the end of 2017.
Google is also aiming for a greener cloud and promises to offset 100 percent of the energy used by its data centers with clean energy. As for Apple, the company recently confirmed that it is using Google’s servers for iCloud.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter which cloud you use – at least when it comes to environment. Just pick the one you like best and try not to overdo it with these emails.