How to get a handle on your e-waste
Those semi-“disposable” laptops your kids have been bringing home from school? They aren’t disposable at all.
As a country, we generate about 6.9 million tons of e-waste each year — equivalent to throwing out 120 Chromebooks, the relatively inexpensive laptops made by Google that are common in kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms, every second. We’re also throwing out 416,000 phones each day.
This mountain of e-waste leaches toxic heavy metals into our soil and water. Manufacturing a computer also consumes a great deal of resources. Researchers say that the information technology sector is responsible for about as much greenhouse gas emissions as the airline industry.
Part of the problem is “planned obsolescence.” For instance, it isn’t students and teachers who regard Chromebooks as “disposable.” Many would be happy to use the same machine for the entire length of a student’s education. However, Chromebooks have a built-in “death date.” Depending on the model, after four to eight years, Google stops updating the software — rendering the laptop unusable for schools.
To stop this “Chromebook churn,” thousands of supporters, teachers, parents and students called on Google to produce longer-lasting computers. The tech giant listened. Last month, Google announced it will extend its software support to 10 years for its Chromebooks. In a world where the lifespans of laptops can be shorter than the lifetimes of the backpacks students bring to class, this was a meaningful step for the benefit of school district budgets and the environment. Fewer otherwise usable computers will “expire” and need to be tossed away.
Google, however, while influential, is not solely responsible for e-waste. We all have a role to play.
The best way to reduce the environmental harms of our tech habit is to stop replacing our phones every other year. While companies may tout their newest models as more sustainable than older ones, the best thing we can do is keep using the phone or laptop we already have, rather than junk it. If we held on to our phones one year longer on average, the emissions reduction would be equivalent to taking 636,000 cars off the road for a year.
There are simple ways to expand the lifespan of our devices. Most importantly, we need to use them for as long as they receive essential security updates. In addition, we can fix broken or wornout components instead of replacing the whole device. All rechargeable batteries in our phones and laptops come with a limited lifespan. When they stop holding their charge, have a repair shop replace the battery to breathe new life into them. The same is true with other common repairs, such as broken hinges and cracked screens.
When it’s time to replace a device, make sure to dispose of it properly. Consider reusing it as a second screen or a smart home gadget, or pass it on to someone else who could still use it. As a last resort, recycle your e-waste. You can use www.call2recycle.com to find a nearby dropoff point. While recycling is better than dumping your phone in a landfill or having it collect dust in a junk drawer, it’s not magic. According to iFixit, 99% of the rare earth minerals in the electrics cannot be recovered for recycling.
Buy devices that are used or refurbished. Doing this is up to 91% better for the environment than buying new. Make sure to check the warranty length and terms before purchasing. Many refurbished product sellers such as Back Market provide one-year warranties. Read reviews and use iFixit’s repairability score database to help you choose devices that are more repairable and built for longevity.
However, the onus for environmental responsibility shouldn’t be solely on consumers. Manufacturers use repair restrictions, updates that push us to upgrade before devices die, early obsolescence, and most of all, software limitations to pressure us into buying new products on a regular cycle.
Companies often end software support and restrict how we use products with software locks. Printer brands block affordable third-party ink cartridges, Apple restricts repairs on iPhones and Tesla rejects some thirdparty accessories for its cars. We’re increasingly told by manufacturers that we’re only allowed to use items we paid for in full in ways that just so happen to generate even more profits for them.
Since the tech industry, on the whole, has refused to take more consumerfriendly actions, we need the government to regulate these unfair business practices and ensure that our products are designed to last. The Federal Trade Commission should clarify that these software restrictions violate “anti-tying” provisions. Companies are not allowed to tie the use of one product to the purchase of additional items or services. We should stop companies from tying more fees to the repair and replacement of parts. Without governmental enforcement, we can’t protect our fundamental freedom to own what we’ve paid for.
While we should do all we can to keep using our devices for as long as possible, Google and other tech companies need to do their part to stop the disposability treadmill that pressures us to replace our laptops, phones and other electronics with newer models.
The rate at which we’re consuming technology is not sustainable for the environment nor, in the case of Chromebooks and other laptops, for schools’ and families’ budgets.