The Best Sustainable Alternatives For Your Digital Life

Technology may be getting cheaper, but the environmental impact is only getting more costly. Bigger phone batteries, more demanding AI tasks and the blockchain are just a few reasons why technology is taking up more of the world’s resources.

For the first time, it’s becoming more understood that we don’t only impact the world by what physical items we consume, but also what digital items.

 

Circular Economy

 

One of the most impactful changes we can make is opting for refurbished phones. These devices are professionally restored to near-new condition, so most consumers don’t know the difference. Yet, it’s far greener, as a refurbished phone produces a mere 7.60kg of CO2 over its lifespan, compared to 85kg for a new device; around 90% fewer emissions.

It’s also a matter of raw materials, as so much e-waste, like screens and batteries, end up in landfills and do not degrade. It’s not only buying refurbished phones, but learning how to upcycle old gadgets, like how DIY Perks recently converted a decade-old TV and a very old projector into a new screen that can compete with an OLED.

 

Energy-Efficient Practices

 

Sticking with phones, as this is the technology we most interact with (and has even become the number one gaming device in the world), we need to respect that each night, it gets charged using electricity. Given that wireless charging is typically less than 90% efficient, you’re wasting 10% each night for almost no reason. Slow charging can also be more efficient, as the battery doesn’t heat up as much.

Settings also make an impact, such as having eco-mode turned on for your monitor and TV, as well as white good items like dishwashers. If you want almost no impact on your experience with the device (i.e. a dimmer screen is annoying), then consider simply having a faster display-off timer.

Green Web Hosting

 

The invisible infrastructure that powers the internet uses vast amounts of energy. It’s possible to use eco-friendly web hosting providers that use renewable energy sources to power their servers. For example, Kualo and Netcetera are leading this charge and would be ideal options for hosting your own site.

When it comes to your own energy sources, it is also worth considering green energy sources like solar panels. This way, much of your digital life can be powered by the sun.

 

Digital Decluttering

 

Digital minimalism is a trend that hasn’t gone away. Regularly decluttering your digital spaces can have a small, but non-zero impact, such as using fewer apps, deleting unused files, and so on. Initially, the less storage and processing data uses less data, but its indirect impacts are larger. This is because we can slowly become less reliant, as less of our lives are stored on there.

Of course, there are mental and physical health benefits to this, but beyond that, we can simply pick up our phone fewer times in a day when we are less dependent and less cluttered. A phone-free zone in the home or time of day is also a healthy and sustainable practice, much like Meat-Free Mondays.

Sustainable alternatives to our digital life isn’t only for the planet; it is a way to change our relationship with our devices so that we own them, rather than them owning us. By being conscious of your energy usage and where the phone is sourced from, you can be a more conscious consumer more generally, learning more about the impact of over-consumption and unethical business practices.