Our smartphone accompanies us all day long. In the morning it’s the first thing many people think about. We take it with us to the office, spend the break with it and for many it is also the last thing they put down before sleep. So the smartphone has become a companion in our lives. There are now 300 million more cell phones in the world than there are people. However, many of them simply lie unused in a drawer. But what does all this have to do with the rainforest?
To be always up to date to the latest technology, many people buy a smartphone every year. The old devices, which are still fully functional, end up in the „maybe-I’ll-need-it-later“ drawer. However, the devices contain many valuable raw materials that could be recycled and reused. Many of them come from the tropical rainforest. And this is where the link between our smartphones and the destruction of the rainforest begins.
Many mining regions of the contained raw materials (e.g. coltan) are located in the tropical rainforests of Brazil, Indonesia, and many more! For the mining huge areas of forest must be cleared. Thus also many animals, e.g. gorillas, lose their natural habitat. Since the demand for new equipment is increasing more and more and therefore also the demand for the rare raw materials, more and more areas of the tropical forests are being developed.
What you too can contribute to the betterment
Next time, ask yourself if you really need a new smartphone. It is becoming increasingly important that we make use of the lifetime of our electrical devices again. If the demand for the raw materials from the rainforest decreases, fewer will also be mined.
Does your smartphone still work perfectly? Why not give it away or sell it?
Your cell phone is old and no longer functional? Recycling protects the environment! The precious raw materials can be reused and do not have to be mined again.
Where can you dispose of your smartphone? Definitely not in the household garbage. Take it to the dealer, to the recycling center or, if you have a large amount of electronic waste, simply have it picked up by CIRECON. Attention: Do not open your old smartphone yourself. Some of the raw materials used are toxic!