It is common practice to replace your smart phone every couple of years. However, have you considered the environmental impact of updating your cell phone? The CO2 emissions created by mining the materials necessary to make each smart phone represent 85-95% of the total CO2 emissions from using the phone for two years (the average time a person uses their smart phone before replacing it). Many cell phone companies even support this habit by offering discounts and free upgraded cell phones to customers.
Using your phone for 10 years would create the same amount of CO2 emissions as creating a new phone. The more frequently you purchase a new phone, the higher your carbon footprint. Each time you use data on your smart phone, you are also contributing to your own carbon footprint, because t requires communication with servers and data centers which represent 45% of emissions created by information and communications technology*.
Some companies, such as Apple, have begun using renewable energy sources to help offset the carbon emissions created by their products. However, this does not help with the mining of rare resources required for manufacturing smart phones.
The only way to truly reduce the carbon footprint of a phone is to use it for an extended time. Replacing the battery rather than replacing the phone itself is the best way to extend its useful life and reduce the environmental impact of your cell phone.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90165365/smartphones-are-wrecking-the-planet-faster-than-anyone-expected
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