How to go green with your gadgets

Ken Colburn
| Special to the Republic

Question: What can I do to be more Eco-friendly with my tech gadgets?

Answer: Our insatiable appetite for new gadgets has many hidden environmental costs such as energy consumption and e-waste that we all need to think about.

The energy required to manufacture the average desktop computer could run a refrigerator for about 467 days, while the energy to produce a smartphone could charge that phone 5 to 6 thousand times.

Most of this energy is used in the production of crucial components like batteries, screens and the various circuit boards as well as the mining of the rare metals required.

When tech gadgets are discarded, they add to the electronic waste problem that has been building for years as a small fraction of devices are properly disposed of with the majority ending up in our landfills.

E-waste is being generated five times faster than the amount that is properly collected and recycled each year.

Biggest impact: Your actions

Since there’s no such thing as ‘low-impact electronics’, extending the lifespan of your devices by repairing or upgrading when possible will have the biggest impact on the problem.

Regular maintenance to keep them performing well, clearing storage, and replacing batteries are all low-cost options to replacing gadgets.

Even if a device is no longer of use to you, others you know or charitable organizations may be able to make use of them as long as you don’t wait too long.

The unfortunate reality is that too many devices end up being shelved during their useful life and disposed of years later when they’re likely obsolete.

When it comes time to discard your electronics, find a responsible recycling option so the toxic materials inside don’t end up in our landfills.

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Discard responsibly

Check to see if your municipality provides options for electronics disposal or search for an electronics recycler in your area.

In the Phoenix area, all Data Doctors locations serve as a drop-off arm for AzStrut, a non-profit re-purposing/recycling organization.

Eco-friendly tech choices

It’s been slow, but many manufacturers are starting to prioritize Eco-friendly and recycled materials in their products. Most of them are setting goals to reduce their carbon footprint and increase the use of recycled materials over the next 5 years.

One of the more interesting approaches in Europe is from a company called Fairphone which has created modular smartphones that can be easily repaired or upgraded. Hopefully, this approach will become available in the US as we tend to replace our phones every 2-3 years on average.

Energy Star symbol

Every tech gadget consumes power and finding those that use less will save you money and help decrease the demand for energy.

The Energy Star certification program was introduced in 1992 and represents devices that use 10-50% less energy, so look for it when comparing products.

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The second-hand market

Buying pre-owned or refurbished electronics can be tricky, but when it comes to gadgets with no moving parts, it can be a good way to save some money and be Eco-friendly.

Refurbished items direct from the manufacturer or used smartphones and tablets from a site that offers some recourse are generally safe options.

Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services, datadoctors.com. Ask any tech question at facebook.com/DataDoctors or on Twitter @TheDataDoc.