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Buying refurbished computers has many benefits from saving your pocket to saving the planet. In this post, we will talk about the importance of giving our devices a second life to contribute to the efforts of saving our planet for generations to come.
The amount of electronic waste in the world is growing every year. According to
one study, in 2014 the amount of e-waste equaled to about 41 million tonnes, while in 2016 it rose to 45 million tonnes. Unfortunately, Australia and New Zealand generated the highest amounts of e-waste in the world – 17.3 kilos per person per year. This amount increases by about 5% each year. That’s all thanks to cheaper electronics, upped production and demand, and improved access to different devices around the globe. Only in 2015, over
164 million laptops were sold around the globe.
We replace our computers every 3-5 years even though their useful life is well over 10 years. However, we are told by corporations that each time a new device comes out it is better than the older one and you definitely need it. So, our old devices go to trash and end most likely end up in landfills. If they are lucky, they will go through end-of-life recycling which is better but still has negative impact on our environment. So, what is the right thing to do? The answer is – reduce our consumption. But you need a laptop now, right? Here come refurbished laptops – thanks to refurbishment process computers, laptops and other devices are give a second or third life therefore extending their lifespan by another 3-7 years and preventing them from entering landfills.
Let’s see why we want to extend the lifespan of each device from the environmental point of view and how refurbished tech can help with this big task.
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1. Refurbished computers reduce new device production impact.
The greatest environmental impact of a smartphone or computer happens during its production process. The process involves digging up a lot of natural resources, using fuel to obtain and transport those resources and components, resulting in a lot of CO2 emissions. Energy overuse is actually one of the biggest problems of production and its environmental impact. So, before you head to a store to buy a new computer or phone – think again. Buying a refurbished computer will save a new one from production and, therefore, damaging our planet.
2. Buying a refurbished computer helps keep toxins away from soil and water.
All electronics contain toxic substances inside their components. That is why it should never go into your normal waste bin as it will end up in our landfills. A working device is, of course, is not dangerous and is not an active
source of toxic substances. However, when treated incorrectly and discarded as regular rubbish, it harms the environment by releasing many dangerous chemicals such as lead, mercury, barium, cadmium, arsenic etc. By buying refurbished, you save a device from going to landfill. Refurbished devices are fully operational, upgraded, tested devices that can serve their purpose for many more years instead of being dumped because a new device gets released.
3. Refurbishing reduces scarce resource exploitation.
The amount of resources needed to produce such devices is enormous! For example, to make one computer, we need
240kg of fuel, 22kg of chemicals and 1500 litres of precious water. To produce one smartphone, we need to dig up 44.4kg of raw natural resources, and for one computer it’s around one tonne.
Many different scarce resources are used to produce our electronic devices such as gold and silver (electric conductivity), cobalt (for batteries), tungsten (to enable vibration), indium (for LCD screens) and many more. A whole tonne of minerals produces only 5g of gold which will only be enough for just around 160 smartphones. So, by buying refurbished computers, laptops and smartphones you save A LOT of precious resources from being dug up.
4. Buying refurbished computers prevents natural habitats destruction.
Needless to say, that digging up resources not only exploits them but also destroys the natural habitats of many species living around the mining sites. On top of that, extraction of some minerals, such as Cobalt, which is used to make batteries, is dangerous to the Earth due to toxic fumes being released in to the air. Those fumes eventually end up in rivers, lakes and soil, killing their inhabitants. Buying refurbished laptops helps reduce the production of Cobalt because batteries are reused and swapped between devices.
5. Buying refurbished computers reduces the negative effects of recycling.
Even though recycling is better than dumping, the process of end-of-life recycling uses a lot of energy and produces CO2 emissions along the way. Refurbishing computers prolongs their lifespan by another 3-7 years, removing the need for end-of-life recycling for now and until better practices are used. At the moment,
only 6% of e-waste in New Zealand and Australia is formally collected and recycled.
Everyone has a role to play in reducing e-waste and saving our land from destructive effects of over production and irresponsible dumping. Next time you think about changing a device or getting a Christmas gift for someone you love, think about the environmental effects of buying new devices and choose refurbished instead. A small decision like this will not only save you some money, but will also save our Planet, one device at a time.
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