GCSE-ready- Home
- Lessons
- GCSE & IGCSE Computer Science
- Environmental impact of digital devices
Environmental impact of digital devices
🎬 The doodle video for this lesson is coming soon. Subscribe on YouTube to see it first.
Phones and laptops feel clean and weightless, but making, using and throwing them away all affect the planet.
Manufacture and energy
Manufacture: devices need metals, some of them rare, that are mined using lots of energy and water and can cause pollution.
Energy consumption: devices and the huge data centres behind online services use a lot of electricity. If it comes from fossil fuels, this adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Energy consumption: devices and the huge data centres behind online services use a lot of electricity. If it comes from fossil fuels, this adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Replacement and disposal
Replacement cycle: many people upgrade every year or two, so more devices are made and more are thrown away.
Disposal: electronic waste (e-waste) contains toxic substances such as lead and mercury that can leak from landfill into soil and water. Some is shipped abroad and broken up unsafely.
Disposal: electronic waste (e-waste) contains toxic substances such as lead and mercury that can leak from landfill into soil and water. Some is shipped abroad and broken up unsafely.
Reducing the impact
Keep devices longer and repair them. Recycle properly so metals can be recovered.
Buy energy-efficient devices, turn off devices when not in use, and power data centres with renewable energy.
Buy energy-efficient devices, turn off devices when not in use, and power data centres with renewable energy.
Give two environmental reasons to keep a phone for longer instead of upgrading every year.
- Fewer new phones need to be made, saving raw materials and energy.
- Less e-waste is created.
Answer: It saves the resources and energy used in manufacture, and reduces e-waste.
Digital devices affect the environment through manufacture (mining, energy), energy use, frequent replacement and disposal of toxic e-waste. Repair, reuse, recycling and renewable energy reduce the impact.
Check you have got it
Answer 6 quick questions with instant marking. If you get one wrong, GCSE-ready shows you why and gives you another go. It is free, and you do not need an account.