Smartphone production and disposal over the last 10 years are proving to have a significant impact on our planet, according to a Greenpeace USA report.
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Galaxy Note 7 waste – where should they go?
Greenpeace Spain activists attempted to unfurl a banner from the building where Samsung was holding a press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with the message “Reuse, Recycle, Rethink”.
The activists are demanding Samsung reuse and recycle the 4.3 million Galaxy Note 7s recalled in 2016 following reports the devices were exploding or catching fire.
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“What has happened with Samsung’s recall of the Galaxy Note 7 is indicative of a wasteful and unsustainable system. Rushed design and production cycles can lead to wasteful mistakes, not to mention the impact on our planet,” said Jude Lee, Global Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.
“Samsung still hasn’t shared a clear plan to deal with the 4.3 million phones that it recalled.”
Increasing Number of Smartphones is harmful to environment
The report “From Smart to Senseless: The Global Impact of Ten Years of Smartphones” provides key findings how the increase of smartphones across the world has impacted our planet:
- Since 2007, we reached 7.1 billion smartphones and counting.
- In 2014 alone, e-waste from small IT products like smartphones was estimated to be 3 million metric tonnes, according to a United Nations University study. Less than 16% of global e-waste is believed to be recycled.
- A roughly 968 TWh in 2017 alone were spent in manufacturing, which is nearly the same as one year’s power supply for India (973 TWh in 2014)
- Only 2 of 13 models Greenpeace USA and iFixit reviewed as part of the research had easily replaceable batteries. Meaning, consumers are forced to replace the whole device when the battery life starts to dwindle.
- An expected rise of smartphone ownership to 6.1 billion phones in 2020, or roughly 70% of global population
“When you consider all of the materials and energy required to make these devices, their short lifespans, and the low rate of recycling, it’s clear we can’t continue this way. We need devices that last longer and ultimately, we need companies to embrace a new, circular production model.”
Greenpeace is calling on the whole IT sector to embrace a circular production model – to address the root cause of environmental challenges.
Samsung should lead by example and publicly commit to recycling the Galaxy Note 7s. With the thought of course, of minimizing the impact on the environment.
It must also be transparent about how it intends to deal with these phones.
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