Designing for sustainability in the smartphone market

Have you ever considered the environmental effect of your gadgets throughout their production, distribution, and disposal? Consumer electronics is one of the most damaging sectors in terms of air, water, and land. Every year, the amount of electronic trash (e-waste) increases.

The impact of these devices on our environment should not be underestimated. As a result, several consumer electronics firms have begun to implement strategies to mitigate these consequences. These businesses have enlisted the help of their workers, distributors, and even consumers like you and me to ensure that the environment is safe and healthy.

Designing for sustainability is one of the numerous ways to put these principles into practice. It’s all about making things that don’t hurt the environment in the long run. Let’s have a look at how these businesses employ eco-friendly designs.

Apple

Apple avoids using hazardous elements in its goods, and conflict minerals like tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold are being returned from discarded items. Apple also wants to decrease the use of conflict minerals in its electronics manufacturing. Thermoplastic elastomers have replaced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in power lines, and Apple batteries are now lead-, cadmium-, and mercury-free.

Apple’s second green design approach is to reduce the number of materials needed in the manufacture of goods like the iMac and to use recycled materials in the packaging of iPhones and iPods.

Samsung

In an effort to decrease the effect of energy usage, Samsung introduced the first solar-powered mobile phone, the Samsung E1107, in 2009, and a solar-powered netbook, the NC215S, in 2011. In addition, the Korean tech giant is heavily involved in the removal of hazardous chemicals from its mobile phones, such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and PVC. Bioplastics are also used as raw materials in the company’s products.

Dell

Dell packages their products with wheat straw, which consumes 40% less energy than the usual approach. Dell goes a step further and develops for long-term use, providing laptops that are robust and shock-resistant, reducing the need for equipment replacement.

Greening the smartphone market

People like their electronics, and they clamor for the most up-to-date cellphones with the most cutting-edge features. In the twenty-first century, it’s impossible to imagine living without these technologies. The consumer electronics sector, which is one of the fastest-growing, produces millions of electronic devices each year. Every year, more resources are consumed in the manufacture of these gadgets, and these resources are disappearing at a rate that the earth cannot replace, necessitating the need for eco-friendly production, distribution, and usage of these devices.