From Waste to Wonder: The Revolution of Recycling in the Tech Era

To prevent an ecological crisis in New Jersey and elsewhere in the nation, sustainability must be at the heart of high-tech. Green-washing, based on recycled shells on devices containing mercury, lead, cadmium and other substances that you are advised not to drink through a straw, may not be enough. It is time to waste less, and think of better ways to manage our junk!

No more abundance, it is time for sobriety, it seems. Once the announcements and declarations of intent have passed, we must question our uses and think more about our electronic equipment, as much for ecological as economic reasons.

The most environmentally friendly equipment is the one that we do not produce. Once an electronic device, its ecological footprint is no longer negligible.

Ecological footprint and lifespan of smartphones, new or reconditioned

Does a smartphone have as much life as a cat?

We can legitimately question the durability of electronic products before considering them obsolete. And if the primary use no longer satisfies you, is it possible to find another vocation for them? Finally, the question of resale for a second life or proper recycling arises.

Grey or intrinsic energy is the sum of the energies required by the product during its entire life cycle. This ranges from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, packaging, distribution, transport, sale, use, maintenance and recycling.

A parameter that must be kept in mind when buying, for example, a Frozen micro in which the youngest of the family will have vaguely sneezed three times before it ends up in a recycling bin. Does this experience smell like a real-life experience? We are consumers who should not be stigmatized in any way. Raising awareness and supporting in this transition prove to be much more constructive.

Gray energy therefore already has a heavy ecological impact in itself, but there is no question of making the end customer bear it alone. Let’s put aside planned obsolescence, known to all, to focus on the subject of device updates. This is a particularly notable fact for Android smartphones, whose manufacturers never fail to offer us a host of models each year, but are less valiant in software monitoring.

Ewaste explained

While Android 13 has been available in its final version for some time, only 13.3% of terminals are on Android 12, 27% on Android 11 and almost a quarter on Android 10. The dispersion is much less significant at Apple, but the company is the only one to offer terminals with iOS.

We can also blame all market players for the temptation of entry-level hardware. When it comes to computers or small electronic devices, being cheap requires cutting back on power, quality of materials and/or services. It still happens too often that the memory and/or storage are soldered to the motherboard, preventing any future development.

These impractical devices or those that show signs of fatigue too quickly are then quickly scrapped. Obsolescence is not planned here, it is almost consented to and fueled by sophisms such as “in two years it will be worthless anyway”, “this stuff never works for long”, “as long as I use it”, etc.

Of course, not everyone can afford to buy new high-end products, which is why it is important to think about repairs, the second-hand market, etc. Manufacturers who offer low-end products en masse are much more reprehensible.

Far be it from us to be catastrophic, on the contrary. Trends are beginning to emerge in terms of recycling and extending the lifespan. Green IT, for example, consists of imagining sustainable and eco-responsible IT on all links in the chain. This ranges from eco-design, which consists of optimizing environmental or social performance during the development of a product, to responsible use of our technologies. Recycling is part of it, but it also covers, for example, organizing a videoconference rather than moving entire teams.

The public authorities have also taken up the subject with the laws, proposing in particular repairability and durability indices, the provision of spare parts for at least five years, more transparency on waste management, followed by a host of measures to reduce the environmental footprint of digital technology.

Technology and ecology

Let’s keep our “old” products. In terms of technology, the question is therefore not to go back, but to move forward differently. In terms of ecology there are no small savings, because if your carbon slimming cure seems negligible it is part of a necessary societal change.

For a long time now, our computers have not been obsolete within six months of purchase, but many users still think that these devices are good for the scrapyard after two or three years. As for laptops, it is customary to explain that a battery can perform 3,000 charge cycles and therefore last three to five years depending on usage. The veracity of this information is of little importance, a battery must simply be able to be changed and at a reasonable price. Requiring the manufacture of spare parts for at least five years is therefore a step in the right direction.

And this also applies to the mobile market, which users keep for an average of 23 to 37 months, while the mechanical lifespan of these devices is around seven to ten years, provided that the battery can be changed. Unfortunately, the software part will not follow suit… There is still a long way to go to reduce the quantity of junk we discard and to use less dumpster rentals.

Technology and ecology

If you have the skills, running an old PC under Linux to avoid leaving it prey to viruses on an unupdated Windows is a good way to extend its lifespan. The second-hand and reconditioned market is also experiencing strong growth, whether on sites such as Back Market, Afbshop, Rakuten, joined by major retailers with a storefront. Linux distributions have even specialized in this market. Do not hesitate to contact local associations or participate in “install parties” to get advice and help on site.

However, be careful of another point: power consumption. Recent processors and GPUs often display a performance/consumption ratio that is much better than previous generations. If your old equipment has no other hope than to end up in the dumpster, then you must ensure that it is recycled.