Digital Pollution: 4 Tips To Limit Our Impact

In recent years, ecological issues have (finally) entered the minds of the majority of people. Unfortunately, large-scale actions remain limited. The digital field is no exception. The pollution produced by the entire digital ecosystem is surely underestimated by a large number of people. This is why it is important for each of us to act in our own way to reduce our environmental impact on digital tools. Discover 4 tips, easier than you think, to apply to reduce your digital pollution.

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What is the environmental impact of digital?

The environmental impact of digital is marked by different aspects:

We can also notify the datacenters, which are often at the center of the debates. They are in fact an indirect consequence of the use of our devices.

The manufacture of all of our devices is very polluting, even more so than their use. If we take the example of a laptop computer, according to ADEME, there are approximately 800 kg of raw materials used to manufacture it. This causes more than 120 kg of CO2 emitted. The entire life cycle emits an average of 170 kg.

In terms of use, we include energy consumption and all indirect consumption (data centers, etc.).

The last part of the cycle concerns the after life, or at least the after use. Not everything is recyclable in our devices, but a good part of it is all the same and you don't necessarily have to throw it away.

The good news is that, for each part, there are solutions that you can operate on your scale to limit your carbon footprint.

Digital pollution: definition

When we talk about digital pollution, it is simply about all the types of pollution generated by the different life cycles of digital devices: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, transport, distribution, use (and all that this generates) , then the end of life.

Figures to remember from the digital carbon footprint according to ADEME

Some key figures about digital pollution:

Source: ADEME

What pollutes the internet the most?

The manufacture of tools

The manufacture of our tools is undoubtedly one of the elements that produces the most pollution. As we explained, it takes so many resources to make a computer, a smartphone, a screen or whatever. The impact on the environment is enormous and corresponds to 73% of all emissions generated over the entire life cycle.

In addition to the ecological impact, the extraction of these raw materials often has quite serious social consequences. GreenPeace reports in particular that the tungsten, tin, gold and tantalum mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo are funding a civil war through their trafficking. In China or Brazil, in certain regions, the rivers, the air and the soil are permanently polluted and weigh on the health of the local inhabitants.

Video streaming

It is important to mention streaming among the most polluting elements of the digital world. Some time ago, we learned that in 2021, the 3 most used mobile applications were YouTube, Facebook (video) and TikTok. These are 3 platforms that broadcast videos and alone account for almost 40% of mobile data consumed in 2021.

Online videos, more generally, are responsible for 60% of the data consumed worldwide. In concrete terms, this is equivalent to 1% of global CO2 emissions.

Data centers

How can we talk about digital pollution without mentioning Data Centers? First, let's put it in context. A Data Center is a place where there are a large number of servers (and other devices) for the purpose of organizing, processing, and storing data. For example, when you send an e-mail, it is the Data Center that will handle this entire process. When you search for something on a search engine, it's the same.

It is impossible to do without data centers today. However, like video streaming, it consumes nearly 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

How can we reduce our digital pollution? 4 easy tips

Increase the life expectancy of our tools

What does it really mean to increase the lifespan of your devices? Several things actually.

First of all, it can mean that you have to try to keep your equipment as long as possible. Currently, almost 9 out of 10 French people change their mobile phone while the old one is still working. So the first solution that can be noted is to push the use of its devices as much as possible over time.

There are little tricks to allow you to optimize the "technical" or "technological" life expectancy of your devices as much as possible. For example, you can try to extend the battery life by charging better, buy a case to avoid breaking it, just take care of it.

Then, you may totally need to change the device per need, even if it still works. If you work in digital, it is all the more relevant. In this case, the ideal could be to favor the donation for an association, if you have the means. There are associations for this, such as Emmaüs or Action Numérique Solidaire. Otherwise, you can sell your used equipment on a marketplace. The idea is to move towards the reuse of tools. Your old devices would still be better in the hands of someone who can't afford them than in the back of your closet. 😉

Finally, when you go to buy a device, try to do it in an ecological way. There are many platforms today that offer you refurbished equipment. This equipment has the advantage of being less expensive than new, in almost new (reconditioned) condition, and of encouraging reuse and recycling. In other words, everyone is a winner in this story!

Optimize your electricity consumption

It may seem difficult to reduce your electricity consumption when working on the web, but it is possible! Here are some actions to take to limit excessive consumption:

Choose an eco-friendly web host

We have seen that the figures generated by Data Centers were very impressive. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult levers to activate to limit digital pollution. However, even if you cannot reduce your impact to 0, you can try to reduce it.

Some web hosts now offer environmentally neutral hosting packages for your website. This is particularly the case of Ex2. It is a web host which has Data Centers in France and which has decided to place ecology at the center of its priorities. Indeed, they offset all of their carbon emissions in different ways.

First, they ensure that their solutions are powered by renewable energy. This is already a great step forward. On top of that, they donate 1% of their revenue to carbon removal. The icing on the cake is that they have developed a tailor-made hosting offer that allows you to finance solar lamps in Africa.

If you are interested, know that Ex2 transfers your site to their server for free if you subscribe to one of their offers!

Manage your mailbox

The last tip that is easy to implement: better manage your mailbox. Here too, there are a number of simple tips to apply:

There are actually dozens, if not hundreds, of other tips to apply to limit your digital pollution. As you can see, some of them are really easy to set up. All you have to do is get on it.

The various figures show us that it is important to act, we who work daily on the web. Do not hesitate to tell us about the actions you are taking to limit digital pollution on your scale in the comments or on our social networks.