Smartphone Sustainability
Hacks for a Greener Galaxy
Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint may be easier than you expect.
Image courtesy of Unsplash
Although it may not be releasing CO2 directly into the atmosphere, you might be surprised to know that your smartphone usage has its own carbon-footprint. From the energy required to charge it, to the servers and apps that support it, living life in the digital age impacts the environment more than most of us would expect. Thankfully, there are plenty of easy ways you can adjust your phone usage to minimize the effect on the environment, while still making the most of all the awesome features you’ve come to know and love.
Protect and maintain your tech
One of the best ways to decrease your impact on the environment is to ensure that your phone stays in good condition so you can keep using it longer. That means avoiding cracked screens, water damage and battery wear – wherever possible. Thankfully, the latest generation of Galaxy smartphones was designed to be more durable than ever before, with features like waterproofing – now available on all A Series smartphones – and stronger materials, like the extremely resistant Gorilla Glass on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. You should also make use of screen-protectors, cases and other protective accessories to add a double layer of defense. Beyond environmental threats, you can keep your phone in good shape by deleting unused apps, and making sure your apps are updated, as skipping updates can negatively impact the overall performance of your phone.
Embrace sustainable sharing
When we think about technology like cloud storage and file transfer sites, we rarely consider the impact on the environment – but in truth, those email attachments are being stored somewhere, and those servers use energy just like any other device. That said, there are actually many ways we can reduce the quantity of file transfers and save time doing it – by using Near Field Communication, or NFC, technology. Next time you go to share a file with yourself, or with the co-worker sitting across the room, try using ‘Nearby Share,’ accessible on any Galaxy device. Nearby Share allows you to quickly and painlessly share large files between devices without relying on cloud servers or email attachments - so you can maximise productivity and minimise your digital carbon footprint at the same time.
Paper waste is a well-known contributor to climate change, and despite our best intentions, most of it tends to wind up sitting in landfills rather than being recycled. The good news is that going paperless is easier than ever before – even when it comes to tasks like taking notes, drawing or signing contracts. All you need is the S Pen. Elegantly designed to feel and look like a real pen, and engineered to write like one, the S Pen allows you to do everything you can with a normal pen without wasting a single sheet of paper. And with cutting-edge features like handwriting-to-text and air-gestures, you can do so much more. The Galaxy Note20, Tab S7, and Galaxy Book 360, each come with their own S Pen, but you can use it across a whole range of Galaxy devices, including the latest S21 and S21 Ultra 5G, without having to swap and change.
Trade in your phone
Regardless of how strong your case is, or how careful you are with your phone, there will always come a time when you need to upgrade to a new device – but there are ways to make that upgrade more sustainable as well. One easy way to ensure your old device doesn’t wind up as environmental dead-weight is to trade it in for your next one. Not only will you get a discount on your new device, but you can rest easy knowing that your old phone is being responsibly recycled. Another way to ensure you’re minimising the environmental impact of your upgrade is to buy a Certified Refurbished Galaxy phone. Rebuilt from scratch by the very same engineers that built it new, these phones are tried and tested to ensure peak performance at a lower cost to the climate - and your wallet.
Let’s rethink recycling
Beyond these hacks and tips, there are plenty of other ways that we continue to push sustainability forward at every stage of your device’s life-span: from the recycled materials we use to build the next generation to the innovative ways we recycle the tech of previous generations. Trading in your phone is a great way to ensure that it is recycled and properly disposed of – but if you really want to minimize your environmental impact, look into Galaxy upcycling. Rather than trade in your phone for a discount on your next device – we can teach you how to upcycle it to create all kinds of incredible tech – from baby monitors to fish-tank pH meters. And with our recently launched eco-package, you can upcycle the old boxes from your Samsung TV too, building shelves, cat houses and side-tables that are both functional and eco-chic.
Check out our Sustainability page for more information on all the ways Samsung is bringing eco-friendly thinking to the core of our drive for innovation.
A greener Galaxy awaits
Build your foundation for sustainable smartphone habits.
Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
