Why we need greener gadgets
Toxic contamination has long been a major issue for high-tech businesses. At the southern end of the Bay Area, Santa Clara County has America’s greatest number of toxic waste sites, dating from the 1970s when semiconductor manufacturers’ underground tanks leaked solvents into the groundwater, before they relocated their greener plants to Southeast Asia during the 1980s.
Two top nasties are PVC and brominated PBDE flame retardants. About a decade ago, these were in all models but have since been phased out by more than half of the electronics market.
Where used for electronics, PBDE flame retardants are embedded in plastics and are endocrine-disrupting neurotoxins. Very pervasive in the environment, these chemicals have been detected in human breastmilk and polar bears.
Another issue for consumers is to look out for and avoid antibacterial nanosilver-impregnated keyboard protectors and mice. As a biocide, nanosilver is a cause of cell damage and free radical production. With no labelling required, it would be a good idea to ask the manufacturer before purchase.
Resource & energy demands
Unlike with most consumer electric items, most of the lifetime energy of phones and computers is associated with manufacture rather than usage, with calculations ranging from 69 to 80 per cent. Much of this is due to silicon semiconductors, which are a significant energy blackspot.
While the aluminium and plastic used to make electronics also have a high embodied energy, plastic-related carbon emissions have been shrunk by Dell and Sony’s use of recycled plastics with different degrees of post-consumer content. In 2016, MBA Polymers opened a plant in Austria that produces usable recycled plastic from waste electronics.
Another issue for consumers is to look out for and avoid antibacterial nanosilver-impregnated keyboard protectors and mice.
Demand for the mineral coltan, used as a source of tantalum in mobile phones and computers, is contributing to the loss of gorilla habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Make sure your electronics get recycled at the end of their lives.
In its 2014 report, Green Gadgets: Designing the Future, Greenpeace emphasises the importance of manufacturing centres such as China and Japan shifting towards renewable energy, coupled with aggressive energy-efficiency measures. Apple is a leader in this field, having achieved 93 per cent renewables, largely solar, across its worldwide operations.
Greenhouse gases from production
Another issue for the electronics industry is the use of powerful greenhouses with a global warming potential (GWP) far in excess of carbon dioxide with its GWP of 1.
Nitrogen trifluoride (GWP 17,200) is commonly used for silicon etching, flat-screen TVs and touch-sensitive screens. Perfluorocarbons (GWP 7390–12,200) and hydrofluorocarbons (4000–12,400) are used in the manufacture of semiconductors, while sulfur hexafluoride (GWP 22,800) is used for silicon etching and cleaning silicon production reactors. Elemental fluorine is sometimes used as a non-greenhouse-gas alternative, but it’s expensive and its toxicity risks need to be managed.
Getting energy smart
Calculations from 2010 indicate that the IT sector represents 2.7 per cent of Australia’s carbon emissions. Fortunately, there are ways to save power when choosing technological devices. Laptops use far less energy than desktops and, in the case of televisions, LED models are the most efficient choice.
The US Energy Star label system applies to a range of efficient electronic equipment and has also been adopted in Australia and New Zealand. Both use their own energy star rating systems, which in the electronics field are restricted to televisions and computer monitors. Australia’s top-rated TV was given the full 10 stars and the leading monitor has a seven-star rating. In New Zealand, a list of Energy Star models is available, but with no cross-referencing to star ratings it’s difficult to pick out the most efficient.
In terms of user habits, turning off when not needed is generally a no-brainer and it’s also a good idea to flick the wall switch. For computer users, be prepared to use Hibernate or Standby when going away for a period of time. Alternatively, units such as the Ecobutton put the machine into standby automatically. Of the two modes, Hibernate effectively shuts down the machine and uses far less power.
Servers & energy
The other side of the energy equation involves datacentres that are often run by industry giants such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon. These industrial-scale facilities now represent about 3 per cent of the world’s energy usage, and their energy demand is expected to treble within the next decade. This dwarfs aviation, which accounts for 2 per cent of global energy consumption.
Recognising the exponential growth of this sector, Greenpeace has been lobbying the big players to move away from coal and go renewable, with some success. Some new data centres run on 100 per cent renewables and many of the larger companies have 50–100 per cent renewable goals. Major efficiency gains are also possible from an imminent technological shift towards gallium nitride semiconductors. Pay much lower prices for rare products from ALDI Catalogue this week!
At the other end of the cable, Internet users can look at cutting back on their footprint. Netflix, YouTube and gaming are all server hogs; best of all is to spend time offline.
Rare earths
A range of 17 elements known as rare earths are widely used by the electronics sector for a range of purposes, including sharper flat-screen TV images, fluorescent and LED lighting, and polishing smartphone screens. As they are pervasive in the technology sector, it’s difficult to steer clear of them other than by avoiding new purchases.
The IT sector represents 2.7 per cent of Australia's carbon emissions.
The biggest problem here is the radioactive thorium produced during refinement of rare earths, a major disposal headache with a half-life of 14 billion years. World capital of rare earth production is the Chinese city of Baotou, which has created a vast tailings pond full of toxic and radioactive dark sludge.
Recycling of rare earths is a partial solution, but its development has been slowed by logistical challenges. According to the best figures, only about 1 per cent of the rare earths consumed are recycled at the end of life.
Batteries & recycling
Many gadgets require batteries, which have their own environmental impacts. The usual sustainability advice is to avoid disposables and go with rechargeables. However, nickel-metal hydrides (NiMH) are fairly substantial users of rare earth elements, and nickel-cadmiums (Ni-Cad) have toxic risks if landfilled. A third option is a unit such as the ReZAP, WattsClever or SecondWind that recharges “disposable” alkaline batteries. If this is coupled with access to a continuing supply of unwanted disposable batteries, it greatly reduces battery costs.
A range of 17 elements known as rare earths are widely used by the electronics sector.
Rare earths are typical components of lithium-ion batteries that in addition to the button type are widely used in phones, cameras and electric cars. Far greater quantities are in the NiMH batteries found in hybrid vehicles, but Tesla electric cars avoid rare earths in the lithium-ion battery and motor.
In the new field of household power storage batteries, most are of the lithium-ion type. Two rare-earth-free alternatives are the Redflow ZCell (zinc bromide liquid) and the GridWatt (lead-acid gel).
To recycle batteries in Australia, options include Aldi stores (AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V), Battery World (all types) and your local council. Facilities in New Zealand are very limited and it’s recommended you talk to your local environment centre and lobby the council.
Product obsolescence
Planned obsolescence has long been an issue in consumer products, and electronic items are perhaps the most notorious example. Issues include:
- Repair-averse design. For example, the online repair resource iFixit recently found the Apple Pencil to be unrepairable.
- Inconvenient or fiendishly challenging battery replacement in products such as phones and electric toothbrushes. For the iPhone, iPad and iPod, sending to Apple for a battery swap means being without the device for a week and incurring a significant outlay. DIY phone battery replacement is possible via cheap kits and online manuals, but many users who lack this knowledge choose to upgrade instead.
- A lack of “backward compatibility” where hardware or software is not designed for compatibility with earlier versions. For example, current iPhone operating systems only work properly with newer models.
- Fragility, where slimline devices are considered more stylish but have more breakable screens.
More important for electronics is the related issue of perceived obsolescence, whereby items are replaced with a new model while still functional. Motivations include improved speed, stylish design and peer pressure at school. The lifespan of the average smartphone in Australia is 1.5–2 years, but for computers, fortunately it’s significantly longer.
E-waste & recycling
Electronic waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, and a concern is toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and flame retardants that will leach into landfill if e-waste goes in the garbage. The surest way to resolve this toxicity issue is for chemicals to be designed out of new products coming on the market.
Electronic waste is the world's fastest-growing waste stream and a concern is toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and flame retardants that will leach into landfill.
If electronic items such as computers are exported overseas, they are liable to end up in toxic hotspots such as Guiyu in China and Agbogbloshie in Ghana, where plastic wires are burnt to access the copper and washing is carried out with hydrochloric acid. While electronics export by developed countries is generally prohibited under the 1989 Basel Convention, the US never ratified and is a major contributor to the problem. Responsible recycling, on the other hand, does ensure the recovery of high-value materials such as gold, silver and copper.
A growing quantity of Australia’s e-waste is collected under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme. In both Australia and New Zealand, many councils have e-waste collection facilities. South Australia has a ban on e-waste going to landfill, and the ACT has a partial ban. Voluntary computer take-back programs are being run in Australia and New Zealand by manufacturers such as Dell and Apple. Before recycling a computer that’s not very old, consider donating it to an organisation that accepts secondhand machines for resale.
In Australia, phones, their batteries and chargers can all be recycled at a range of Mobile Muster retailers, or posted off in a prepaid envelope. In New Zealand, they can be dropped off at 2degrees, Spark New Zealand, or Vodafone stores under the RE:MOBILE program. Even better if you have a functioning phone is to Freecycle it or pass it on to another user.
Electronics & the circular economy
Making the shift into genuine sustainability will involve going beyond recycling into a circular economy. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the circular economy involves the following strategies, in priority order: maintain/prolong, reuse/redistribute, and refurbish/remanufacture.
To extend the life of an older phone, one tip is to remove unnecessary apps. Owning an older non-smart phone is the easiest way to stay off the upgrade treadmill and it should hopefully last for years. Making a computer last longer is easier where there is no need for high-end functions such as gaming, and desktops are easier to repair and upgrade than laptops and pads. When buying, consider something secondhand as a means of avoiding new purchases.
Repairing electronics is not necessarily as confronting as it sounds. Restart Parties are electronics repair gatherings with an emphasis on teaching useful skills. Having begun in London, they have since spread across Europe and further afield, but are yet to reach Australia and New Zealand.
Perhaps most groundbreaking is a recent shift towards modular smartphones, with new models from Google’s Project ARA (due for release late 2016), RePhone and LG. More impressive still are PuzzlePhone (due late 2016) and Fairphone, which are combining modularity with user repairability. The ethically oriented Fairphone 2 has been released in Europe and is expected to become available in Australia and New Zealand some time later in 2016.
Another tip is to use fewer gadgets, and to be less dependent on them, re-engaging with what the real world has to offer as an alternative to being plugged into the Matrix.
