How not to buy unnecessary electronics and help nature at the same time

Large companies arrange device presentations every year: they just want to update an old phone. However, you should not do this unnecessarily, warns Violetta Ryabko, an eco-activist and head of the media department of the Russian Greenpeace.

In the book “Zero waste in practice. How to stop being a source of trash, ”she talks about the consequences of excessive consumption and ways to reduce the amount of garbage. With permission from Alpina Publisher, Lifehacker publishes Chapter 16.

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One nasty cold autumn in Moscow was supposed to be a presentation of the next iPhone. The line to the store lined up three days before the opening of sales. People stood in the rain, every hour the line grew. Someone practically lived in a winter tent in order to buy a phone first, someone resold their place in line, journalists were reporting live from the scene.

Most of all, I remember the man who told reporters that he was ready to stand in line for several days, because he wanted to buy a present for his wife... for the anniversary of the Great October Revolution.

Why is electronics obsolete so quickly?

When we buy a new one, we get rid of from the old. This consumption cycle has made electronics the world's fastest growing waste stream. Everything in the world is thrown awayUN report: Time to seize opportunity, tackle challenge of e-waste / UN Environment Assembly about 50 million tons of electrical junk per year, that is, about six kilograms for each inhabitant of the Earth.

One ton of waste is 37 televisions, or 135 desktops, or 3333 keyboards, or 8 000 mobile phones, for the manufacture of which various metals and other natural resources. The UN estimates that less than a quarter of all e-waste is recycledSemuels A. The World Has an E-Waste Problem / Time, the rest is incinerated or ends up in landfills.

Electronic waste contains harmful substances such as mercury, beryllium, cadmium, lead, chromium, which are dangerous for the environment and human health.

New models of phones, cars, irons and everything in the world constantly offer themselves to replace old models. People buy new models because they are fashionable and prestigious, and also because phones, computers, tablets no longer support updates.

Have you noticed that chargers from older models do not fit those that have just been released, and some updates cannot be installed on a smartphone after two years of use? Over the past decades, electronics companies have only acceleratedA New Circular Vision for Electronics. Time for a Global Reboot, 2019 / WEF the rate of obsolescence of its products.

Another technological process is taking place right now. revolution - transition to a new generation of 5G communications. The new technology has many advantages, including the speed of the Internet will increase 100 times. To access the 5G network, you can't just replace a part or buy another SIM card - you have to purchase a new device.

Ordinary users, not to mention thousands of companies, will want the fastest and most modern mobile network in the world: billions of smartphones at once, modems and other gadgets, which everyone used yesterday, will be unnecessary, since now almost no relatively new model supports 5G.

According to analysts from the World Economic Forum, the amount of waste will increase to 120 million tons per year by 2050 if humanity does not switch to more sustainable consumption patterns.

To stop the endless and uncontrolled growth of waste, development cyclical economy where there will be no waste or they will serve as raw materials for the manufacture of new things. Electronics must be produced from recycled materials with the prospect of being reused. It is on these principles that business models should be built, minimizing waste at all production stages.

Another solution is to make the electronics durable and upgradeable. Now the options for the development of rental services for a wide variety of things, even phones, are being actively discussed. When you get tired of one phone, you can easily rent another, fully operational, with the latest technology and no different from the store. This approach will significantly extend the life of electronic devices.

This can be compared with existing rental services, such as car sharing - a system for renting a car for a few minutes or hours. Many began to sell their cars because their maintenance, insurance, paid parking and other expenses make the maintenance personal vehicles are unprofitable, and renting a car closest to home or work through a mobile application has become very simply. Also have car sharing more convenient parking conditions, and in case of traffic jams, the rented car can be parked and switched to public transport.

How to resist buying unnecessary electronics

1. Ask yourself if you really need a new technique. Will you bake bread? How about keeping track of the number of steps on your new bracelet? Do you need the latest phone model?
2. Use rental services.
3. If you need a common tool such as a drill or a seasonal appliance like a fruit dryer, you can ask your neighbors to borrow something of your own.
4. Repair your equipment. You can find specialists for the repair of any equipment on various Internet services. In some Russian cities, Repair cafes have already appeared, where people repair different appliances together.
5. Sell ​​old equipment or give it to those in need. For example, the Nochlezhka charitable organization is running the “Pass the Phone” campaign, where it collects working phones for homeless people. Here's what it says about her.The "Pass the Phone" campaign collected more than 130 mobile phones for the homeless / "Nochlezhka" on the website: “Homeless people need telephones to get a job and have a connection with an employer. Almost always, for the first time, our wards are arranged according to vacancies where you need to call. A mobile phone allows you to keep in touch with social work specialists and Nochlezhka lawyers, who tell people the news about the restoration of their documents, court decisions in cases of fraud with real estate. Even an ambulance is nowhere to be called, except from a mobile phone. "
6. Try to recycle the equipment that cannot be repaired. It is best to see which stores in your city accept the old one when selling new equipment, you can also study the site “Reception points». Check if there are special points organized for the equipment of your particular brand, often companies take responsibility and accept old devices in branded stores. If it was not possible to find such items, then it would be useful to write to the company's e-mail with a question where you can safely hand over the equipment. Even if the representatives of the firm cannot help, your very appeal will demonstrate that you, as a buyer, have such a need. Any serious the company must think not only about how to manufacture the product, but also how to safely dispose of it.

If you were inspired by Violetta Ryabko's advice and wanted to leave less waste after yourself, “Zero waste in practice” is a great opportunity to learn conscious consumption.

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