End Devices

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DATA COMPASS - INTRODUCTION | END DEVICES | WORK ROUTINES | WEBSITE AND WEBHOSTING | SOFTWARE AND THIRD-PARTY SERVICES | CARBON ACCOUNTING | TECHNOLOGY AND US | LINKS AND SOURCES

Production

Most of the detrimental impact of end devices on the environment occurs during manufacturing. Depending on the specific product, refurbished devices can save up to 80 per cent of annual emissions compared to new ones. The consumer safety group Stiftung Warentest tested online shops for refurbished devices.

Tips:

• Before buying new devices, it is worth checking how long system updates are guaranteed and taking note of durability and energy efficiency. Battery life, for instance, is an important factor here.
• A further important indicator of sustainability is the repairability of devices. The consumer safety group Stiftung Warentest compared several cell phone and tablet brands. Furthermore, iFixit has a lot of practical information on how to repair devices yourself.
• The company Logitec has started cataloguing the carbon footprint of its products.

Usage

More than half of CO₂ emissions on the internet are caused by end devices. Since these have to be charged constantly, there is enormous potential for optimising energy consumption by reducing charging times – and thus producing less CO₂.

In 2020, the ecological institute Öko-Institut e.V. published a study on digital carbon footprints. It provided data to help estimate production costs, energy consumption and the use of digital end devices and services (original title in German: „Digitaler CO₂-Fußabdruck: Datensammlung zur Abschätzung von Herstellungsaufwand, Energieverbrauch und Nutzung digitaler Endgeräte und Dienste“). This created a basis for calculating the ecological footprint arising from the use of digital devices.

Tips:

• Use dark mode Depending on the device, a dark screen requires up to 60 per cent less power, especially if the device has an OLED screen.
• Enable low power mode Modern cell phones have a low power mode. Some functions may be limited, but it extends battery life significantly. You can enable low power mode permanently. Neither Android nor Apple has published any official information suggesting that it is harmful for batteries.
• Charge your battery only to 80 per cent To protect the battery, the device should not be fully charged nor discharged. The ideal range for lithium-ion batteries is between 20 and 80 per cent.
• Other ways to save power when using end devices: Remove apps you do not use Close apps after use (since they often run in the background) Dim the screen Deactivate GPS tracking in the settings Turn off Wi-Fi when on the move (otherwise your phone will be constantly searching for networks) Turn off near-field communication (NFC) when not in use (this is frequently used for payment purposes, e.g. with Apple Pay) Use a ringtone instead of vibration Turn off your phone or set it on airplane mode when not in use The Data Detox Kit by Tactical Tech has further tips and tricks on how we can be more mindful with our devices and avoid e-waste
  

Disposal and e-waste

A major issue around end devices is the question of their disposal. Numbers from 2022 show that currently less than a quarter of electronic waste generated worldwide is “formally” recycled. However, e-waste contains valuable and finite resources that can be reused if they are processed properly. On the other hand, recycling e-waste improperly can release up to 1,000 chemical substances into the environment. Despite international regulations intended to restrict the transportation of e-waste from one country to another, it continues to be transported across borders into LMICs (low- and middle-income countries / developing countries), for the most part illegally. Due to a lack of recycling infrastructure and training as well as insufficient regulations and law enforcement, people in low- and middle-income countries – especially children – are often exposed to the greatest risks of electric and electronic waste.

So far, the recycling process of waste electrical equipment has focused on metals and materials such as iron, steel, copper, aluminum and precious metals that can be easily segregated and recycled. Rare earths, tantalum, gallium and indium have global recycling rates of less than one per cent. This is because there is only a small quantity of them in smartphones and they form part of complex components, making them difficult to recycle.

• As a general rule: Use devices as long as possible. Repair devices instead of immediately buying new ones.

Seek out repair cafés:

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https://www.repaircafe.org/en/visit/

https://www.reparatur-initiativen.de/

https://berlin.nabu.de/umwelt-und-ressourcen/recycling/32783.html

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