Why Protecting Your Cell Phone is One of the Little Things You Can Do for the Planet
Apr 22, 2021
We all want to know what we can do to help the planet. As awesome as it would be to have a single, silver-bullet solution to save the environment, there are all kinds of little things we can do to contribute. Often, the key is knowing how we can make a difference. And not just in one particular metric that makes us feel good about ourselves—but to the entire system.
The Hidden Environmental Costs and Benefits of Cell Phones
We at MOXYO have long known there are both environmental costs and benefits to cell phones. This recent article from TreeHugger confirmed what we already knew, but several facts stood out to us:
• Using cell phones doesn’t consume that much energy: Last year, one researcher estimated that an average phone uses around 0.01-0.05 kWh per day. Over a year, that's the equivalent of skipping a single bath or driving 6 minutes less.
• Cell phones contain toxic materials including lead, nickel, beryllium, cadmium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants. In a simulated test, the EPA found that cell phones leach 17 times more lead than the federal threshold for what constitutes hazardous waste.
• There are nearly two cell phones in existence for every three people on earth. And, according to the EPA, cell phones have the shortest life span of any major consumer electronic—1.5 to 2.5 years.
• Cell phones can themselves be a huge environmental resource. As Alex Pasternack, founding editor of Vice's Motherboard, says in the TreeHugger article, “[Mobile phones] can be used to check up on the brands we buy, advocate for change, warn farmers about elephant herds, monitor pollution, and maybe soon turn us into amateur botanists.”
The Importance of Protection-Based Phone Accessories
The takeaway—one of the little things we can do for the planet—is to make sure we get as much use as we can from our cell phones, and then recycle them responsibly, even if it’s just returning the phone during a trade-in. There are lots of ways to recycle a cell phone. Just be sure you do NOT put your cell phone in a curbside recycling bin.
To get as much as you can from your phone, you need to protect it. Most everyone already has a phone case, but this isn’t the only way to protect your cell phone. A Zigi band carrying solution is designed to guarantee you can’t drop your phone. Another great solution for preventing dropped phones is a crossbody phone wallet. Plus, this way, the inconvenience of getting your wallet out won’t keep you from donating to a worthy environmental cause. It’s not just cell phones, either. A laptop stand can make sure you get the most of your computer by reducing overheating and increasing ergonomic design.
Little Things MOXYO is Doing to Make a Difference
• Recyclable Packaging: In addition to encouraging people to recycle their phones and other electronic devices, we’ve started using 100% recyclable packaging.
• Using More Sea Freight: Often, there’s no reason to ship a product using air freight. We use sea freight whenever possible to reduce our carbon footprint across the supply chain.
• Little Things You Can Do: Check out our Instagram for short anecdotes and ideas about the little things we can all do to help the environment.