How to Ensure Your Next Tech Purchase is Eco-Friendly

With every mainstream company starting to devote at least a part of their efforts towards an eco-friendly nature or sustainability, it’s only a matter of time until every company does the same or international bodies come in and impose something similar. The apparent beneficial body being our mother earth, it’s quintessential to ensure industries do not end up polluting our already-polluted planet even more. Thankfully, sustainable development is the best thing that could’ve happened in this century thus far.

As a consumer, it’s also upon us to promote eco-friendly products and start preferring them instead. Speaking of tech, seemingly the most common commodity everyone has access to, we must go out of our way to ensure our next tech purchase is eco-friendly and sustainable. After all, it’s something new that not everyone knows about. But fret not; this article outlines every possible step you can take to ensure your next tech purchase is eco-friendly and sustainable. Let’s begin!

Sustain Your Old Tech

Sustainability begins with sustaining what you already have, not unnecessarily upgrading. For example, you might be tempted to buy a smartphone just because your old one is old. However, provided it’s not unusable, sustaining tech is the best way to contribute to the environment since you are not polluting it further. Furthermore, tech evolves so quickly that you might be tempted to upgrade again in the next year or two, so the best way to deal with it is to put a full stop to it.

A fair way to reuse something correctly is to repair your old device. Things like batteries, outer body parts, and displays are easily replaceable through third-party repair shops. Such upgrades are enough to restore the original functioning of the devices and even give the charm of using something brand-new to great extents. You can top it off by getting new accessories like a smartphone case, laptop stickers, watch straps, and camera lanyards.

Choose Refurbished/Used Devices

If your old device is beyond repairable, so much so that no part replacement can save it, or if it’s missing a crucial aspect of modern technology, such as 5G, you might want to upgrade your device no matter what. It makes total sense to upgrade in such cases, but you can take sustainability up a notch by opting for renewed, refurbished, or used devices. They’re far less polluting and get the job done brilliantly.

With many major manufacturers and retailers now offering a dedicated refurbished section, market research isn’t something you need to worry about. Such establishments not only ensure the device you’re getting is in the best condition possible, but they also provide warranty coverage. In most cases, at least in the case of brands like Apple, BestBuy, and Walmart, you’re getting an almost brand-new product for a way lower price, which is good not only for you but also for the environment.

Trade-In Your Old Devices for New Ones

Now that you’ve decided to buy something new or refurbished, the next thing you might be wondering is what to do with your old device. The answer that makes the most sense financially and environmentally is selling or trading it in. Speaking of the former, you can list your old devices on eBay or Facebook Marketplace and have them sold in most cases. There will always be someone in desperate need of the device, no matter if it’s old, because it’s all they can afford. Specific devices like cameras, PC parts and accessories, and more are easy to sell.

As far as trade-ins are concerned, it’s a win-win situation for both parties. You get a new device at discounted rates, whereas the company gets an old device from which they can recycle and obtain parts. Sometimes, if the condition of the traded device is good enough, they may resell it right away after a brief clean-up. Trading-in is especially recommended when upgrading smartphones because smartphone OEMs and telecom carriers often run insane trade-in deals that you can take advantage of.

Opt-Out of Discounted Add-Ons

It’s a common practice in the tech industry to bundle add-ons at discounted rates to persuade you to spend a little more. While it sounds delightful, getting the bundled accessory is redundant if you already have it. For instance, you might be tempted to buy an SD card bundled with the camera you’re buying or a pair of wireless earphones with your smartphone purchase, but you might already have a perfectly working set of equipment.

Another relevant instance is the bundled power adapter inside smartphone boxes, which most smartphone manufacturers don’t care about giving anymore. The only logical argument is being eco-friendly, which is true because power adapters are often unharmed after years of usage they go through. Regardless, you should only opt for add-ons if you are in need of one, not otherwise. However, bundling protective equipment, like cases and lens covers, is recommended because they’re proprietary, and you can use them immediately.

Look Out for Environment-Friendly Standards

Similar to the Energy Star rating for home appliances, which indicates the appliance’s energy consumption rate, tech devices also have standards you can look out for. The best example is the carbon-neutral symbol on the packaging of various Apple devices, such as the Apple Watch (Series 9 and above), Mac mini, FineWoven cases, and more. The symbol signifies that for such products, Apple uses 100% clean energy for manufacturing, at least 30% renewable or recyclable material by weight, and at least 50% of shipping without air transport.

While not every manufacturer is concerned about being environmentally friendly, you can do your part by opting for ones that are. This is especially possible with accessories, which are often made of mere plastic. You can also look out for other symbols like the 3R symbol, which symbolizes three crucial aspects of being eco-friendly: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Prioritize Longevity

Tech changes faster than you can imagine, so it’s normal for your devices to become obsolete in a year or two. Innovation certainly can’t stop, so the only way out is to carefully pick devices that will last long enough. Speaking of smartphones, the easiest way to do so is to choose ones that prioritize things like battery life, software support, and warranty. For instance, iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixels enjoy seven years of software support, the highest in the industry.

The same can be said for the PC industry, so you must choose easily upgradeable ones. Macs are the worst for upgradeability, whereas most Windows PCs, if not all, and many Windows laptops allow upgrading the essential components, such as internal SSDs, graphics cards, and more. This not only saves quite a lot of money in the long run but also significantly helps our environment.

Ensure Your New Device Is Repairable

Repairability is a crucial aspect of sustainability, which is why many government bodies promote programs like Right to Repair. While some brands have started listening and incorporating the necessary changes, most of their devices are still far from repairable by the general consumer because of their high technicality. So, most users rely on service centers or third-party repair shops, which isn’t always ideal.

Thankfully, some tech devices, such as PCs, are far more repairable. In fact, smartphones like the Fairphone 5, HMD Crest, and HMD Fusion break the conventional barriers of repairability and allow easy repairs without voiding the warranty status. For other devices, you can refer to websites like iFixit for replacement parts and repair guides, which enable you to carry out repairs yourself easily and in an uncomplicated manner.

Repurpose Your Old Devices

There’s no better feeling than making use of unused things sitting in your drawer. Or, as we Indians call it, jugaad, which involves utilizing things in as clever ways as possible and repurposing them. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity, so feel free to brainstorm and develop use cases for your redundant tech devices.

A few examples we could come up with include using your old smartphone as a security camera, using your old camera or DSLR as a webcam, using your old laptop’s display as a monitor, and more. You can also repurpose parts and use them, such as microphone attachments, SSDs, CPU components, camera lenses, and more. Remember, the main goal is not to have your old devices end up in a trashcan or landfill, rotting and polluting the environment.

Properly Dispose of Old Devices

Sometimes, you may encounter situations where you can’t repurpose your old devices or sell them to someone. In that case, the only logical option is to dispose of them, but doing so correctly is more important than anything mentioned in this article. Electronic devices are hazardous to the environment because they are non-biodegradable and polluting. So, the one thing you certainly shouldn’t do is throw your old devices in the garbage truck tomorrow morning.

Fret not; there’s a way out: recycling your old devices. Thankfully, government bodies are well aware of this and have thus set up recycling units, especially for components such as batteries and extracting rare earth metals. You can drop off your devices at a nearby collection center and get compensated. Many private companies and OEMs also offer it as a service, which is a step in the right direction. Old devices sitting idle in your drawer are of no use and could cause harm in the form of explosions and chemical leaks, so it’s best to get rid of them the right way.

‘E’ in tEch Stands for Eco-Friendly

With our ever-lasting dependence on tech growing daily, we must not overlook the harm caused to the environment. The aforementioned steps can go a long way in ensuring we don’t do wrong to our environment over and above what’s already done. Being eco-friendly begins by ensuring things around you are eco-friendly, such as your phone, laptop, camera, and other equipment. It’s as simple as opting for the right devices, reusing old devices cleverly, and disposing of unusable devices properly.