The impact of our smartphone addiction and how to go more sustainable

Since the beginning of the smartphone era, such devices have become an integral part of our lives - they connect us with loved ones, provide an opportunity for business, and are a source of information. According to a recent survey, the number of smartphone users worldwide is projected to grow to nearly 4 billion by the end of 2021, and there is no doubt that it will only continue to rise. However, do you know what it takes to make the cell phone in your hand?

What hides behind the metal names?

There are three most commonly used metals without which most of the phones couldn‘t exist: iron (20 percent), aluminum (14 percent), and copper (7 percent). Iron is used in speakers, microphones, and in stainless steel frames while copper is used in electric wiring and aluminum as a lightweight alternative to stainless steel and also in the manufacture of the strong glass used in smartphone screens. However, under these metal names hides a huge environmental problem- catastrophic mine waste spills. The enormous volumes of solid and liquid waste (termed mine “tailings”) are produced when extracting these metals from the earth.

As stated by the ohchr.org website, the largest spill on record occurred in November 2015 when a dam collapsed at an iron ore mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil, releasing approximately 50 million tons (enough to fill 23,000 Olympic swimming pools) of iron-rich waste into the River Doce. The waste inundated local villages killing 19 people and traveled 650km until it reached the Atlantic Ocean 17 days later.

According to the EPA, cell phones have a shorter life span than any other major consumer electronics: compared with 3 to 8 years for an LCD monitor, or 3.3 to 4 years for computers. Therefore, on top of the energy and cost associated with extracting the materials that go into a cellphone, the disposal of cellphones leaves a toxic imprint on the environment too. That happens because:

• Printed circuit boards contain toxic metals including lead, nickel, and beryllium.

• Liquid crystal displays contain mercury.

• Batteries may contain nickel and cadmium, particularly older ones.

• Plastics may contain brominated flame retardants, that are toxic and persist in the environment. Studies suggest they accumulate in household dust and in the food chain, and they have been detected in some fish.

To have a more clear view of people‘s impact on the environment, the following numbers were found:

130 million: the number of cell phones retired in the U.S. per year, over 40 times more than in 1990

65,000 tons: the weight of electronic garbage created by cellphones per year

What can be done in order to improve your environmental and social performance?

There are a few actions that society could do regarding their smartphones‘ usage behavior to become more eco-friendly:

1. When changing the cell phone, find a certified recycler who can get it to a company that carefully reclaims the stuff inside. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that recycling just a million cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 33 cars off the road for a year.

2. Keep your smartphones longer, and even if there's a need to renew- give away the old phone to a nephew, kid, or charity. Responsible phone use could not only save money but the planet too.

3. Last but not least- when buying a new cell phone, try the one that is made from recycled and fair-trade materials. Companies such as CleanCall provide people with an opportunity to go more sustainable by implementing such practices. Therefore, as the electronics industry is filled with unfair trade, buying a recyclable phone would help eco-friendly companies to fight for fairer electronics and create a positive impact on the environment as well as society.

How well do we want it?

Even though it is difficult to say whether the benefits of smartphones outweigh the negatives, one thing is still clear: as mobile devices become ever more important for our lives, we should collectively put more thought into the side effects of our addiction as well as put more effort into changing our habits. With a help of new technology and the sustainable alternatives that can replace the unfair-trade phone industry, seeking sustainability in electronics has never been easier. Now, it is only up to us- are we willing enough to make a change in order to save the environment?

#Fairelectronics #Sustainability #Recyclablephone