Software and Hardware Challenges Manufacturing Sustainable Smartphones | #71
Presenters Agnes Crepet Gaël Duéz Source Green IO podcast Beyond the Hype: Unpacking Fairphone’s Real Impact on Tech Sustainability 🚀 We live in a world utterly dependent on our smartphones. Since 2017, there have been more mobile subscriptions globally than people on Earth! 📱🌍 A staggering 1.2 billion smartphones were shipped last year – that’s about 15% of the world’s population buying a new device. But here’s the kicker: manufacturing these pocket-sized powerhouses isn’t small potatoes when it comes to environmental impact. A 250g smartphone can have a “true weight” of up to 70 kilos when you consider all the resources, energy, and water that go into extracting minerals and manufacturing its components. While some manufacturers dabble in recycling, many cite complex supply chains as an excuse for limited impact and rarely champion the second-hand market. ...