Scaling Companies Tips: 5 Ways To Be More Green With Your Tech

Did you know that you can decrease your carbon footprint by deleting your emails, or removing plastic from the ocean by using a search engine? The tech we use daily is stealthily having a negative impact on the planet. Although the changes that really matter are led by governments, fossil fuel companies and green energy startups forging the way to a better future, there are some little known small changes that you can make within your company and within your own approach to tech that can benefit the planet.  

 

5 ways to be more Green with your Tech.

1. Switching Search Engine 

If possible and safe to do so, change up your company or personal search engine to an eco-friendly option. Ecosia is one such famous alternative, where every search removes 1kg of CO2. This search engine uses its profits to plant trees and, since its creation, they have planted over 100,000,000. 

On the other hand, if surfing the web has you in the mood to save the oceans, you can also try lesser-known search engines Ekoru and OceanHero. Ekoru works to reforest the oceans, and OceanHero uses your search power to rid the ocean of plastic. OceanHero claims that its users have aided the recovery of over 20,000,000 plastic bottles, helping to protect sea life across the globe. 

2. Delete and Unsubscribe from Spam Emails

It’s time to face that one inbox with thousands of unread, junk and order confirmation emails for the sake of the planet. Don’t be fooled by the illusion of cloud storage, your emails live in real, whirring computers in large data storage centres, which drain power and need vast amounts of cooling. 

According to Eco2 Greetings an average year of emailing emits about 136 kilograms of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), which is equivalent to driving 200 miles in a petrol car. The Guardian also reported that “The sending, sorting and filtering of spam email alone accounts for 33bn units of electricity each year”.

What has now become known as digital pollution is silently increasing our impact on the planet. Delete, unsubscribe and limit your emails. It’s not going to single-handedly save the planet, but it could help. 

3. Switch to an Ethical Phone (or invest in a startup creating them)

Eco-friendly phones do not get enough press and could be a great alternative to replace standard company phones or your personal phone. 

Fairphone, for example, is a startup that has created and are evolving sustainable and ethical smartphones. Fairphone put durability, longevity and easy repairs at the forefront of their mission to reduce electronic waste (e-waste). They also incorporate fairer and responsibly mined materials in the production of their phones with recycled materials making up 40% of the device. Fairphone is also concerned with the human impact of phone production, offering a living wage bonus for their factory workers. 

Fairphone is powered by Android 10 and comes at a much cheaper economical, ecological and human price than other leading smartphone creators. Why not make the switch?

4. Waste Not, Want Not

Be conscious about your e-waste. 

In 2019, global e-waste generation reached a record high of 53.6 million metric tons. This is a marked increase from the 44.7 million metric tonnes recorded in 2016, of which only 20% of that waste was documented and properly recycled. In total, this is the equivalent of 4500 Eiffel Towers. 

You can help reduce your own e-waste by opting to repair or exchange your tech, instead of buying new. This will help reduce the amount of tech left stagnant in landfills.

5. Continue online meetings

The pandemic forced many of us to adapt to remote working, which has lowered emissions from daily commutes. As we return to a new normal, use this technology to continue Skype calls and Zoom meetings with clients or colleagues you have already built strong relationships with. Not every meeting requires a flight to another part of the country or a taxi to the other side of town!

 

 

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Header Image: Fairphone is an environmentally friendly phone you could use to make your startup more eco-friendly. Image via Fairphone Instagram.