The total digital industry accounts for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and could represent 14% of total global emissions by 2040, all else being equal (projection for 2040 made considering the 2016-level of global greenhouse gas emissions). In 2022, there were 16 billion phones in circulation worldwide, and 5.3 billion of them became waste. E-waste volume is growing five times faster than documented e-waste recycling. On average, 40% of the environmental impact of digital technology’s greenhouse gas emissions is tied to the manufacturing stage. Up to 92% less carbon emissions than new. ADEME, Assessment of the environmental impact of a setof refurbished products.

Let’s end fast tech.

Technology has never been more powerful, more innovative, and more advanced. So why do we throw it away every year for the next big thing?

Fast tech’s race to put out the “most innovative device ever” every year is contributing to the climate crisis.

Fast tech is the system of overproduction and overconsumption that relies on devices built to be disposed of — either when they break down or become irrelevant, thanks to the latest “upgrade.”

It’s everywhere you look. In our pockets, in our economy, and especially in our rubbish. It’s time we reckon with the impact of fast tech on our planet.

It’s possible to get the tech we need while mitigating our own environmental impact. Instead of buying what we are told to or letting our old tech pile up forgotten in a drawer or worse, waste away in a landfill, we can get the most out of our devices while participating in giving the planet a break.

The best part? It’s not hard.