Released every few months, a new and ‘game changing’ gadget is launched to the world. Be it the latest and greatest fruity toy from Cupertino or the thinnest and lightest from South Korea we all, as a planet, rush out to upgrade, exchange and renew. We do this, myself included, with little to no regard for the fate of our once beloved devices. Some are relegated to a dusty draws along with unknown keys and decades old AA batteries in the midst of corrosive decay. Until one day, in a fit of existential madness the draw is upended into a black bin bag, tied and bound for landfill (Do not do this! Bad! Naughty people! Batteries can be recycled at all major supermarkets nationwide). Maybe however, you have decided to trade in your old device for money, vouchers or free cinema tickets. You do this in the belief that your old gadget will go to a new loving home of those less fortunate than yourself. However, the sad truth is that they will most likely have been stripped unceremoniously of their precious metals and then shipped to landfill in developing nations. This is the circle of life for all of our technology, created in far off lands only to return, sometimes in less than 12 months, to be dumped in the name of progress. It is a universal truth that for every shiny new phone, tablet, TV or laptop bought an ‘old’ one must be decommissioned from service. What happens after this and the impacts our consumer lifestyle has on the environment will be discussed in the blog.
the life cycle of a mobile phone from claudio graciolli on Vimeo.
