August Top Tips - electronics

Happy August!

For the Top Tips this August we will cover one really obvious waste product that we have totally disregarded so far: electronics. Electronic devices (Phones, computers, TVs, printers etc.) not only use up electricity but also create so much waste, especially considering how many people own them and what amount of them. Many people for example own more than one phone or regularly get new ones. That itself is a waste, however, they do need fixing and extra products such as cables and headphones as well. Some companies design their products to fail after a certain amount of time so the consumers have to get new ones… With all of that comes a lot of waste, and here are tips on how to avoid some of it!

1) Use your product as long as possible.

If you use each product for longer, then you won't have to keep buying new ones. This saves money and resources. Many people like to get themselves the newest device as soon as possible to get hold of the newest features, but this is unnecessary. It normally doesn‘t really pay off. So use your device as long as possible!

2) Put a case on your electronics

At some point, electronics break, but if you put a case on them and look after them, then they will last longer and you won't have to pay for fixing them. This seems logical but cases especially for phones and computers are actually really helpful and prevent your device from breaking, especially when you handle it carefully.

3) Take care of your battery

Batteries are often the first thing that breaks. However, you can look after your battery so that it lasts longer. Here are some tips:
-Don’t let your battery run all the way down and certainly don’t leave it in that state for a long time
-Keep your battery charged but do not overcharge it. If it is charged you can leave it for quite a while.
-It is best to charge your battery with its original cable
-If you simply want to make sure your battery doesn’t die that quickly it is always helpful to keep your brightness down and turn off services like Bluetooth and WIFI when you aren’t using them

4) Try to get your device or part of it fixed before going to buy a new one

If part of your device is broken, then you can buy that part to get it fixed. Again, it's cheaper and means that you don't throw the still working parts away, so you can use your device longer!

5) Buy secondhand

So if your device is really broken beyond repair, then at least buy second-hand. This is a lot cheaper and better for the environment. (some websites are listed below)

6) Just because your friends might have the newest mobile phone, doesn't mean that you need it too!

This is kind of obvious but just because your friends/colleagues have the newest most expensive device on the market doesn't mean that you need it. Owning the most popular stuff on the market doesn’t necessarily make you cool, so don’t fall for the marketing strategies of all those companies!

Useful links:

Trademore

Gazelle

Amazon

eBay

Swappa

This is where we got our tips on how to take care of your battery from:

https://www.tayna.co.uk/tutorials/caring-for-your-battery

https://news.samsung.com/za/top-three-tips-for-taking-care-of-your-smartphone-battery

https://myrepublic.net/sg/blog/10-ways-to-make-your-phone-battery-last-longer/

Thank you for taking care of the planet with us this month again!

Your Green World Team💚

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