{"id":6913,"date":"2017-02-27T22:05:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-27T22:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.p4.greenpeace.org\/post\/what-10-years-of-smartphone-use-means-for-the-planet\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T09:49:07","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:49:07","slug":"what-10-years-of-smartphone-use-means-for-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/6913\/what-10-years-of-smartphone-use-means-for-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"What 10 years of smartphone use means for the planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Smartphones have undeniably changed our lives \u2014 and the world \u2014 in a very short amount of time. Just ten years ago, we took pictures with cameras, used maps to plan routes, and kept in touch with friends and family using T9 text messages.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re among the more than 2 billion people in the world that now uses a smartphone, chances are pretty good you remember your first smartphone. You remember how your life changed when your phone suddenly became connected to the internet and became a tool to find your way around almost anywhere instantaneously, send emails on the go, stay in touch with loved ones 24\/7, and answer all your random curiosities.<\/p>\n

But do you remember when you got your second smartphone? Or your third? Do you remember how many smartphones you\u2019ve had since 2007?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Protest

More than 20 Greenpeace activists have been painting the sidewalks during the early morning around the Fira de Barcelona with icons of huge mobile phones reading ‘Reuse, recycle, rethink’.<\/p><\/div>\n

We wanted to find out how many smartphones had been made since Apple\u2019s first iPhone came on to the market in 2007, and the answer surprised us \u2014 more than 7 billion. That means that if every smartphone ever made was still operational, there would be roughly enough for every person on the planet.<\/p>\n

Of course, this is not the case. The average phone in the United States is used for just over 2 years, despite the fact it can function for longer. Phone users are often lured into prematurely replacing their phones \u2014 either because they are up for a new contract and the new phone appears to be \u201cfree\u201d or because of a single failing part, such as the screen or battery, that\u2019s too complicated or expensive for the average person to repair.<\/p>\n

At this rate, we\u2019re all on track to use at least 29 phones in our lifetimes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"E-Waste

An art installation made by Philip Sambalao who collaborates with Greenpeace. Titled “After Death” the art work is made from thousands of pieces of electronic waste, such as mobile phones and is exhibited during a Car Free Day event at the business district in Jakarta.<\/p><\/div>\n

This rapid turnover of devices is what leads to record profits for smartphone manufacturers year after year. It also leads to many damaging impacts on people and our planet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Miners in remote landscapes extract tons of metal ore and precious metals for these devices. From there, these materials pass through a complex refining, processing, and manufacturing supply chain. Workers in electronics factories are often unknowingly exposed to hazardous chemicals that damage their health. These facilities our powered by an energy mix that is dominated by fossil fuels, which furthers the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n

In our new report From Smart to Senseless: The Global Impact of Ten Years of Smartphones<\/a>\u00a0we unpack the problems with the current smartphone production model.<\/p>\n

Here is some of what we found:<\/p>\n