When it comes to being eco-friendly, smartphones aren’t exactly star performers… not by a long shot! But instead of focusing solely on the negatives, it is important to recognize the efforts that manufacturers are making to limit the planetary disaster they’ve dragged us into and learn about initiatives gradually being implemented to reduce the pollution we generate with our precious phones.
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It’s no secret that Back Market has always sold smartphone cases, helping you give your devices the best possible protection so they can last as long as possible. Now for something new! We’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Pela Case to offer their 100% compostable cases, made with flax straw.
August 28, 2020
by Micheline
New technologies are part of our daily lives and their impact on our lives will continue to increase. Unfortunately, as you must already know from reading our articles, the digital sector generates a lot of pollution. And it is not really a model of ethical behavior either, the smartphone industry is a perfect example of this.
So, when you want to choose a responsible smartphone, which brand should you turn to?
July 2, 2020
by Micheline
5G is already operational in countries such as China and South Korea, and is increasingly anticipated in Europe. This new technology is the fifth generation of wireless communication and is the successor to the current 4G. Developed to handle the growing volume of data and modern digital business, 5G will enable greater exchange and storage capacities. In order to do this, this technology will require a hitherto unheard-of millimeter wave bandwidth in the range of 30 to 300 GHz.
In France, the first offers should be launched by the end of the year if current conditions regarding COVID-19 still permit it.
5G technology has been a highly controversial subject for several years now and it is far from being unanimously accepted. The reason for this, aside from the digital opportunities 5G offers, is that it also raises fears of an unprecedented environmental disaster on a planetary scale.
“To dare; that is the price of progress,” said Victor Hugo in Les Misérables. But at what price?
April 30, 2020
by Micheline
Of the more than 70 million cell phones purchased every year in the United States, only 10% are recycled. What happens to the rest? The vast majority of old smartphones are left to collect dust in drawers, serving no purpose whatsoever. Others are thrown away and end up in a garbage dump or are incinerated.
So where’s the problem? Well, discarded smartphones can cause lasting damage to soils, jeopardize biodiversity, and affect human health. In this article, we’ll look at the things you can do to give your old cell phone a second life.
March 5, 2020
by Micheline
“If you look at its entire life cycle, just sending a 1-megabyte email is equivalent to using a 60-watt light bulb for 25 minutes (Françoise Berthoud, computer technician at the Gricad research center)
Belief in a “virtual” world is probably one of the biggest illusions of our time.The Internet is not intangible, and digital pollution is a very real thing. It’s very easy to forget that supporting Internet requires building and maintaining thousands of data centers to store information, miles of networks to carry it, and millions of computers, tablets, and smartphones to connect to them. Obviously, this comes with a cost.
But how big? And how can we make it smaller?
February 28, 2020
by Micheline
A few days before the UN climate summit, young people, NGOs, and companies all over the world joined together to take stock of our priorities, with the latest IPCC report on the oceans providing context. There’s no denying it anymore: It is high time for us to take action –and demand that our governments and economic stakeholders do the same. With this in mind, Back Market participated in this joyful parade of signs on Friday, September 20, 2019.
November 5, 2019
by Micheline
We have our smartphones and computers with us all day long, but we tend to forget that they are more than just physical objects. The ecological impact of their use also depends on our web practices. Yet it is difficult to remove the illusion that it is immaterial, and hence has no real life consequences. Well, our internet actions have a cost and having eco-friendly digital habits is important. But what are the best practices to adopt?
September 12, 2019
by Micheline
Smartphones have become almost indispensable in our modern way of life. And there is a good chance you have one if you are reading this article. Unfortunately, these poor beasts live only 18 months on average, while they could easily reach the ripe old age of five if we took more care of them. But how can you keep your smartphone longer, I hear you ask? Start with this:
August 29, 2019
by Micheline