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 13.11.2024

Let’s stop hyper-consumption

Days of being bombarded by consumerism-inducing advertising lie ahead. Black Friday discounts are now rooted firmly in our society, and in a few days aggressive Christmas campaigns will arrive inciting us to buy and consume because, well, why not treat ourselves? One of the areas most susceptible to people taking advantage of deals to buy or renew what they have is that of technology and communications.

Technology is one of the most powerful tools we have, and we can harness technological innovation to overcome the great challenges facing the planet. Unfortunately, however, the business model used by most tech companies is hardly what we would call innovative, and today we have devices that are not very durable and difficult to repair.

When thinking about replacing or acquiring new electronic equipment, consider the following:

– Is there no way I can extend the life of the device I have? Do I really need it? Times like the upcoming Black Friday discounts do not help eco-responsible shopping.

– If your device no longer works, find out if it can be repaired and for how much.

– Do not throw electronic equipment in the rubbish at home or the bins on the street, return it to the manufacturer or to electronic waste collection points, such as municipal recycling stations or at stores specialising in the sale of electronics. There are collection bins for mobile phones and tablets in the PCB lobbies.

– If you buy new equipment, choose companies that manufacture environmentally friendly products and look for eco-labels in the field of technology and electronic equipment.

Find out more here.