{"id":7042,"date":"2016-08-19T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-19T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.p4.greenpeace.org\/post\/why-fixing-your-phone-is-one-of-the-most-empowering-things-you-can-do\/"},"modified":"2019-11-06T09:49:17","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T08:49:17","slug":"why-fixing-your-phone-is-one-of-the-most-empowering-things-you-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/7042\/why-fixing-your-phone-is-one-of-the-most-empowering-things-you-can-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Why fixing your phone is one of the most empowering things you can do"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like most people, I don\u2019t go anywhere without my phone. In the morning, its shrill alarm rouses me from sleep. During the day it bobs between my ear, my hand, and my pocket. At night, I hunt for Pok\u00e9mon before putting it away on the nightstand. My phone is my MP3 player, my camera, and my GPS system\u2014all in one. I really believe that technology is a driving force for good in the world. It makes our lives better.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve spent the last decade teaching people how to repair their electronics<\/a>\u2014things like smartphones, computers, and tablets. I do it because even though we love our gizmos, we treat them like they\u2019re disposable: things we can use up, throw away, and buy again without a second thought.<\/p>\n

\"Broken

Broken smartphones<\/p><\/div>\n

Today people go through smartphones like they go through jeans\u2014at the rate of one new phone every 24 months or so<\/a> in the US. A good laptop can be useful for more than five years, but the battery only lasts about two years<\/a>. And a recent study<\/a> in Germany found that the lifespan of consumer electronics is getting shorter. Why? Because our stuff breaks more quickly, we tire of it more easily, and we\u2019re more eager to upgrade before it\u2019s necessary.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a huge problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Phones, laptops, tablets and TV are some of the most energy and resource heavy products we know how to make. Manufacturing a single microchip requires 2,200 gallons of water<\/a>\u2014and a computer is packed with dozens of chips. Of the 118 elements on the periodic table, 40<\/a> of them find their way into our electronics.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 40 natural resources that are often sourced from regions with questionable environmental regulations and little protection for workers. All for gadgets that we use for a few years before tossing away.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"Child

A child sitting among cables and e-waste, Guiyu, China<\/p><\/div>\n

In 2012, the world produced 48.9 million metric tonnes<\/a> of e-waste. That\u2019s about 15.4 pounds (7kg) for every person on Earth.*\u00a0By next year, the United Nations expects the yearly rate of e-waste to rise to 65.4 million tonnes\u2014an increase of 33%.<\/p>\n

The greenest gadget is probably the one you already have\u2026<\/h3>\n

More stuff isn\u2019t the answer. Every time someone repairs their phone instead of upgrading to a new one, that\u2019s one less phone that needs to be manufactured. Every time someone opens up their laptop and replaces the battery, they\u2019re doing something tangible to reduce e-waste.<\/p>\n

My company iFixit<\/a> helps millions of people around the world fix their stuff\u2014for free\u2014every single year. Often, the people we teach have never repaired anything before in their lives. They\u2019re nervous to open up their gadgets. They\u2019re scared they\u2019ll mess something up. And they\u2019re worried that they\u2019re not allowed to fix their gizmos on their own.<\/p>\n

But they can. And they do. I\u2019ve seen moms fixing iPhones for their kids, and those kids in turn fix their grandparent\u2019s computer. That experience\u2014bringing something that was broken back from the dead\u2014is incredibly empowering.<\/p>\n

You become something more than just a consumer. Something different. Something better. You\u2019re a fixer. And armed with a screwdriver and a repair manual, you can fix the world\u2014one broken gadget at a time.<\/p>\n

\"\u00a9

Smartphone repair workshop at Greenpeace Mexico office with local repair group, Fix Friends<\/p><\/div>\n

Want to fix the world? Here are four easy things you can do:<\/h3>\n