If you’re looking to upgrade your phone, you might be tempted to buy a completely new device. While it might seem like an appealing option at first, we hope, after reading this post, you might think twice and instead, opt to buy a refurbished phone online instead.
The environmental impact of mobile phones is immense. There are more than 7 billion people on the plant, and more than 60% of us own a mobile phone. That’s roughly 4 billion phones. With the average consumer keeping hold of their device for a year or less; the circular economy on used phones is immense.
The Less in Landfill – The Better
According to statistics, 140,000,000 phones will go into landfills each year, placing almost 80,000 lbs worth of lead back into the earth.
The more used phones that get kept in circulation for longer, the lower this number will be. Buying used phones help keep the amount of mobile-phone wastage to a bare minimum and reduce the amount of lead that gets buried into landfills.
Remarkable Energy Saving Benefits
For approximately every 500 phones that gets recycled, this results in a saving of enough energy to power a home for an entire year. If all of the mobiles that are currently discarded of ended up being recycled, it would save enough energy to power over a quarter of a million homes annually.
Reducing Greenhouse Gases
People who contribute to the circular economy across the globe can save significant amounts of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the environment. According to a recent study, over half a million tons of greenhouse gas emissions were saved simply through the buying and selling of used electronics in a single year.
A new mobile phone will typically generate up to 75kg of CO2. Both the production and disposal of smartphones carry an additional cost in terms of energy and raw materials. For this reason, buying and selling used mobile phones can further prevent environmental damage, and it provides a sustainable (and significantly cheaper) way to use and reuse mobile phones for the greater good of our planet.
Support the Circular Economy
By purchasing a refurbished phone online, consumers can still get a good deal on a device that might only be a year old. With almost all smart-phone manufacturers now offering regular, free software updates, this gives consumers access to up to date technology, for a fraction of the cost of buying new.
The circular economy is booming and with good reason. It’s about using products for their ensure expected lifecycle, and not just for one or two years while they claim their spot at trendy gadgets. Most technology devices are robust and are built to last. And when phones are refurbished and placed back into circulation, this doesn’t just extend the lifetime of the product; it reduced the overall environmental impact we each have on our planet.
In Summary
If you can buy a used phone online, save money, get access to some of the newest mobile phones, and help reduce your environmental at the same time; it makes perfect sense to choose a used phone over the more expensive, new handsets. Aside from this, most companies that sell refurbished phones online will provide peace of mind guarantees, giving you an assurance that your device is covered for a set period of time should anything go wrong.