As we continue to use our planet's natural resources, sustainability is becoming more of a concern each and every day. This is why it's imperative we shop for sustainable and low-impact products to help keep our little blue marble alive. Surprisingly, smartphones can actually fall under this category. Yes! There are eco-smartphones out there that count as sustainable.
Here is a list of seven sustainable phones you can buy to help you become a bit more green, along with what makes them sustainable and green to begin with.
What Makes a Smartphone an Eco-Smartphone?
Certain boxes need to be checked for a phone to be considered sustainable. It's all about how little of an impact the manufacturing process has on the environment. Also, it's about how long the phone can be used, repurposed, and repaired before it goes in the trash. People usually swap their phones every couple of years, but a phone can be used for at least twice that long.
For a phone to be sustainable:
- It needs to have parts that can be easily replaced and repaired.
- It needs to have a low radiation emission.
- It needs to be made from recyclable materials.
- It needs to be designed to last longer than typical smartphones.
- Its manufacturing process needs to have a low environmental impact.
1. Fairphone
Fairphone is a company that was made with sustainability in mind. Its eco-friendly smartphones have been popular among green enthusiasts, and currently, the company is selling the Fairphone 3/3+ and the Fairphone 4.
These phones are manufactured out of aluminum from ASI-certified vendors and 100% recycled plastic. They're modular phones that have their parts ready to take out and replace. Even the batteries can be easily removed; they're not glued into place like phones nowadays. One thing that may be bitter-sweet for some users is the fact that these phones don't come with any chargers included.
Fairphone has awards and certifications to its credit. It's the first and only company to integrate fairtrade gold into its supply chain. It's in the top 1% of the Ecovadis rating system, and it's B Corp certified for using business to address social and environmental issues. When it comes to sustainability, it doesn't get much better than Fairphone.
2. The Teracube 2e
Teracube is another company with a focus on sustainability. The Teracube 2e was funded by a campaign on Indiegogo.
This phone shares some hallmarks with the Fairphone handsets. It has a large battery that can be replaced to increase the phone's mileage. The manufacturing process produces less carbon than most other companies, and the phones themselves come with 50% less packaging. Like the Fairphones, the Teracube 2e doesn't come with a charger in the box.
One of the main selling points for the Teracube 2e is the four-year warranty. Most manufacturers sell their phones with a one-year warranty, with a few companies going for two years. This is great, as one of the biggest causes of e-waste is lack of support after a certain amount of time.
3. Shift Phones
German company Shift has a brand of phones that prioritize issues in the smartphone industry: fair working conditions and repairability. Like the companies mentioned above, the internals of Shift's phones are easily taken out and replaced, including the battery and camera modules.
Shift has a strong focus on safe working conditions. The company notably excludes the conflict mineral coltan (columbite–tantalites). This ore has been associated with bad working conditions in the mining industry since the early 21st century, and there are environmental concerns as well.
Unlike Fairphone and Teracube, Shift has an ecosystem of different devices up for purchase. Along with four different phones, the company is working on a laptop, a tablet, and a standalone display that you can attach the phone to.
If you value repairability above all else, you might want to look into these phones. However, you should keep in mind that these phones aren't made from recycled materials, and they do cost a pretty penny compared to the first two companies.
4. Newer iPhones
The two aforementioned brands are ones you may or may not have heard of, but everyone knows what iPhones are. Starting with the iPhone 6, iPhones have been getting high marks for sustainability and repairability. For starters, Apple is really good about keeping its older phones up to date with software updates; devices as old as the iPhone 6 are still getting recent updates. Picking up an iPhone will ensure you a lot of longevity.
As for the body, these phones use aluminum which can be recycled. The iPhones are also free from chemicals such as Brominated flame retardants (BFR) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which are harmful to our health.
Along with avoiding harmful chemicals, Apple takes care to exclude conflict minerals from its supply chain. According to Ethical Consumer, Apple, along with Google, Fairphone, LG (when it made phones), Lenovo, and Sony are the best companies for sourcing non-conflict minerals.
5. Sony Xperia Phones
Sony is doing a big push to help reduce its environmental footprint with its devices. Its Xperia phones have been given high marks for being pretty environmentally friendly. These phones are made using mostly recycled materials and are pretty sturdy. The company has also reduced the dangerous chemicals present in the phones. This is all a part of a company-wide initiative for a greener Earth.
6 . Refurbished Phones
It's worth mentioning phones on this list because they represent a big part of sustainability: RECYCLING.
A refurbished phone is a used phone fixed up to work as close to new as possible. Millions of people buy refurbished devices, which greatly reduces the amount that manufacturers have to produce. We can only imagine how much waste is being saved just by buying refurbished phones.
7. Subscription Phones
This might not be a popular option for most people, but subscription phones help in the same way refurbished phones do. When you get a subscription, you basically lease it for a certain amount of time (usually two years), and at the end of that time, you return that phone. Those phones then return to the company so they can be repurposed.
It's the Little Things That Have the Biggest Impact
So, you can't exactly go live in the woods, wash your clothes in the river, or chain yourself to a tree; it's okay. But, little things like buying a used or eco-friendly phone can make an impact. So, while it's tempting to get the next exciting and shiny smartphone, it can mean more just settling for last year's flagship instead. It's the little things we do today that might help lead us to a brighter (and greener) future.