A new study exploring the effect of smartphones on the planet shows the amount of power used to manufacture smartphones over the past ten years is equivalent to one year’s power supply for India. Greenpeace issued the 10-year study titled, “From Smart to Senseless: The Global Impact of Ten Years of Smartphones,”. The report provides many minute details, says IT Web, and lists areas of improvement.
Since the first iPhone was released in 2007, 7.1 billion smartphones have been manufactured using 60 elements. The amount of materials involved in the process makes the extensive supply chain bulky. While in the past, plastic has been derived solely from crude oil, there is a growing trend to use post-consumer recycled plastic in the manufacturing process. Greenpeace estimated e-waste from smartphone production reached 3.3 million short tons in 2014, and only 16 percent of this is recycled. In addition, Greenpeace found batteries are not easily replaceable, which leads to less recycling.
Elizabeth Jardim, senior corporate campaigner at Greenpeace USA, called for better waste management. She stated, “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.” By 2020, an estimated 70 percent of the global population is expected to own a cell phone, which is a testament to the necessity of wireless infrastructure to support the devices.
March 6, 2017
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