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"On average 566 phones and 24 PCs would each use up the available earth share for one ’world average citizen’."
(Holdway and Walker, 2004)
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Ecological footprinting
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The ecological footprint (EF) can be used to find out how much productive space ("nature") is required to manufacture an electronic or electrical product (EEE) and to absorb the emissions that are generated when producing and operating it. The footprint can capture the main environmental impacts that arise from manufacturing and using a product.
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Using the Footprinting tool, you can quickly calculate how much nature your mobile phone and personal computer require. But be aware that you most likely also use many other products such as a stereo, refrigerator, TV and lights – each of these will come with their own ecological footprint – some of them with an even larger footprint than your mobile or PC.
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Our individual ’fair earth share’
If we divide all productive space on earth by the number of people on it, we each have 1.8 hectares of the planet to provide for our needs – our fair earth share. This is equivalent to two football pitches. On average, 566 phones and 24 PCs would each use up the available earth share for one ’world average citizen’.
Footprinting mobile phones and PCs
When you buy a mobile phone, it uses about 32 (global) square metres, which is less than 1% of your ’fair earth share’. The footprint for a PC is about 764 square metres or 4% of the average earth share (newer PCs may do better). For both products, more than 90% of the land space used is for absorbing carbon emissions.
When does the waste take place?
One paradox of the WEEE Directive is the notion that it deals with the ’waste’ generated by electrical and electronic products. In reality, most waste comes from the material processes, energy and emissions that are generated throughout the stages of a product’s life cycle -raw material extraction, parts manufacture and use – not disposal, which has a relatively low overall environmental impact.
The impact of raw material extraction
About 90% of the material waste generated by mobile phones comes at the raw material extraction phase. For example, the production of 1 tonne of platinum requires the removal of 950,000 tonnes of ore. For gold, the ratio between material extracted (such as rubble, earth) and product is around 1:350,000 tonnes. On this basis a solid Gold WEEE Man would be generate around a million tonnes of material waste at the extraction phase alone.
Using recycled material in new products can reduce the need for raw material extraction. Recycling 1kg of aluminium saves 8kg of bauxite, 4kg of chemical products and 14kw of electricity.
The impact of the use phase
In many products, the use phase generates significant environmental burdens. Around 99kg of CO2 are generated by a typical mobile phone during its use phase, compared to 6kg in the raw material phase. The typical phone generates more than 750 times its own weight in carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
This work has been developed by Dr Sibylle Frey, of Giraffe Innovation Limited, based on her Phd study at Brunel University
www.giraffeinnovation.com
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BACK TO TOP
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| FACTS & FIGURES |
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In 1984, annual DVD sales in the UK were 18,000 units per year. In 1994, 6,857,000 million units were sold.
(GFK Marketing) |
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Freeview receivers did not exist just a few years ago.
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In the UK we have about 450 TVs for every 1000 people – that’s about half a TV set each!
(Oxfam, 2005)
SEE MORE FACTS & FIGURES
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| FURTHER INFORMATION |
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Earth Day Network provides a general footprinting quiz
www.myfootprint.org
Our Ecological Footprint – Reducing Human Impact on the Earth
M. Wackernagel and W. Rees, New Society Publishers, 1996
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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