Mobile Phones: The Environmental Impact
Documentary Transcript:
With 4.1 billion people using a mobile phone daily, 61 precent of the worlds population owning a piece of this advanced technology, the environment is left struggling to cope. In today’s society mobile phones become out-dated so quickly that consumers are upgrading at least once a year. The average mobile phone will consume 4 221 mega Jules of energy a year, the equivalent of 120 litres of petrol or 112 kilograms of carbon dioxide. The worlds total phone chargers, if left plugged in all day would waste enough electricity to power approximately 28000 homes. The wastage continues with approximately 140 million mobile phones being dumped in landfills, that’s an unbelievable 4 per second. But it’s not only the phones ending up in landfill. The many tonnes of glossy cardboard packaging, plastic wrap and foam are also going to waste, clogging up the earth and the atmosphere. When each individual component of all the thrown out mobile phones is combined, it is estimated that approximately 4.7 Tonnes of Gold are sitting in landfills, gold to the value of $56 million as well as 49 Tonnes of Silver to the value of $8.4 Million. Money, I dare say that could be used to feed starving citizens of war torn countries.
It is not all bad though, as if a mere 515 mobile phones are recycled, enough electricity is saved to power one home for a year. The Australian company Mobile Muster offer a free mobile phone recycling service. In attempts to ensure the longevity of our planet Mobile Muster cover the cost of transporting all unwanted mobile phones to their factories, where devices are deconstructed and individual components used in the construction of stainless steel products and plastic items. Although substantial efforts are being made by companies and individuals alike, more must be done if a sustainable, healthy environment is wanted. The responsibility is ours. We must reduce wastage and dispose of our old mobile phones correctly, by recycling them. An increase in this trend will see a reduction in the production of Carbon Dioxide and hopefully an improvement in the state of the environment.
It is not all bad though, as if a mere 515 mobile phones are recycled, enough electricity is saved to power one home for a year. The Australian company Mobile Muster offer a free mobile phone recycling service. In attempts to ensure the longevity of our planet Mobile Muster cover the cost of transporting all unwanted mobile phones to their factories, where devices are deconstructed and individual components used in the construction of stainless steel products and plastic items. Although substantial efforts are being made by companies and individuals alike, more must be done if a sustainable, healthy environment is wanted. The responsibility is ours. We must reduce wastage and dispose of our old mobile phones correctly, by recycling them. An increase in this trend will see a reduction in the production of Carbon Dioxide and hopefully an improvement in the state of the environment.