From the course: Digital Sustainability: How to Reduce Your Digital Footprint

Technological waste: Marketing and planned obsolescence vs. real needs

From the course: Digital Sustainability: How to Reduce Your Digital Footprint

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Technological waste: Marketing and planned obsolescence vs. real needs

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- Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which manufacturers design products with a limited lifespan that forces us to replace digital devices at a rate that is not necessarily driven by our needs, but by the sale needs of companies. This strategy is commonly seen in products such as household appliances, mobile phones, and electronic equipment. This continuous replacement is damaging our environment and our finances. That is why it is important to be aware of this issue and take concrete steps to tackle the problem it represents. So, what can be done in such situations? The first thing we can do is to delay the replacement of devices as much as possible. Ask yourself, "Do I really need that new equipment?" It is also important to buy used and refurbished devices, and purchase equipment from manufacturers that are committed to sustainability and efficient recycling. In case you want to check, companies normally share information about their carbon footprint and the activities they are implementing to reduce it in their sustainability reports. While I was preparing this course I decided that from now on I'm going to change my mobile phone less frequently. When possible, I will try to double the time it took me to replace my previous phone from two years to four years. Remember that every action that you take adds up if all of us commit to replace our equipment later.

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