Upgrading your smartphone every year isn’t necessary. Most people do it consistently out of habit or addiction. Thankfully, manufacturers are making it less appealing to secure the latest phone. But did you know that smartphones can have a detrimental impact on the environment? Purchasing a new shiny smartphone annually might not be worth all the consequences — and here is why.
Related
What is the greenhouse effect, and how is it a problem?
Our environment is susceptible to climate change. The greenhouse effect is one factor that scientists have observed and analyzed since the 1800s. The greenhouse effect is the natural warming of the earth. It occurs when gases in the atmosphere create a thin blanket, trapping heat from the sun that would otherwise escape into space. Essentially, this thin blanket protects us by making the earth habitable (keeps the temperature suitable for survival).
Source: NRDC
Scientists have found that approximately 30% of solar energy (the light and heat from the sun) is reflected back into space. The rest of the energy is absorbed by the atmosphere or the earth’s surface, warming the planet. This heat is then radiated back up as invisible infrared radiation. While some of this infrared light continues into space, the vast majority gets absorbed by atmospheric gases, known as greenhouse gases, causing further warming.
Greenhouse gases comprise carbon dioxide (79.7%), methane (11.4%), nitrous oxide (6.1%), and fluorinated gases (3.1%). They often naturally come from byproducts of volcanoes, forest fires, and decomposing organic matter.
When we emit too many greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect strengthens unnaturally, thickening the blanket of gases. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) are typically the largest contributors. Humans burn fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. The unnatural progression of the greenhouse effect leads to global warming, which in turn results in climate change.
Climate change can harm our livelihood. Climate change is often responsible for natural disasters (like hurricanes) and unexpected seasonal changes like elongated winters, extended dry seasons, and rising sea levels (melting glaciers). All this also circles back to global warming, a phenomenon that describes the long-term rise in Earth’s average temperature.
How do smartphone upgrades affect greenhouse gas emissions?
Landfills pose a problem for greenhouse gas emissions. Every time we discard digital technology, we contribute to greenhouse gases. The first source comes from the decomposition of organic waste in landfills, which produces methane. The second comes from e-waste. E-waste occurs when electronics containing batteries or plugs are discarded. Toxic chemicals such as heavy metals seep into the earth’s soil and water, polluting it. Moreover, when trash containing e-waste is burned, the chemicals released pollute the air.
According to QuantumLifecyclePartners, greenhouse gas emissions from electronic devices and the produced waste increased 53% from 2014 to 2020.
That’s how electronics, like smartphones, contribute directly to greenhouse gas emissions. Experts also cite manufacturing as one of the key issues, noting that the manufacturing process alone contributes 85% of its carbon footprint. It becomes a continuous cycle whenever a new product replaces and discards the old one. By purchasing yearly upgrades, you also indirectly increase the demand (which generally increases supply), showing a market for them. Companies will keep a healthy production line if the demand for new upgrades is high and the sales target is being met.
Manufacturing new smartphones is problematic
The actual manufacturing process has a direct impact on the environment. For example, raw materials must be extracted and processed to make a smartphone, which consumes natural resources and energy. The main smartphone components responsible for a large portion of this are the rechargeable battery, the LCD display, and the circuit board.
Packaging and transportation also contribute to this environmental impact problem. For one, transportation uses fossil fuels, while packaging can consume paper from trees, create plastic from crude oils, and extract aluminum from metal ore. All of these processes require fuel or oil.
How can we mitigate the environmental impact
The easiest solution would be to avoid buying a new upgrade every year. This would reduce the demand for yearly upgrades and force manufacturers to seek more sustainable solutions (e.g., increasing the lifespan of newer phones). However, that isn’t always feasible, as it would take millions of consumers to stop these yearly purchases before manufacturers take notice.
Instead, we look into more immediate solutions that are easier to accomplish. The first would be to donate your old smartphone (Canada has a service called PhoneItForward) instead of throwing it away. We also recommend contacting your provider if you do not know anyone who can use it. Your carrier should have trade-in programs and recycling programs for old phones. If you buy a new phone directly from the manufacturer, check if they offer similar services — Samsung does, and Google will send you a free delivery label. Oftentimes, these companies will want older devices to be reused for parts, or they might attempt to re-package and refurbish your device.
Be smart with your phone upgrades
You must ask yourself: How badly do you need to upgrade this year? Are you missing out on core features? Or are you finding you need to purchase a new smartphone because you are overdue for one, either because your phone’s battery keeps dying or your phone is so damaged that repairs are no longer feasible? Then, consider the options above, like recycling and donating, to reduce your carbon footprint.
