How to purchase ethical and environmentally friendly electronics (2025)

We all love New shiny electronics. But every smartphone or new laptop comes with luggage. weight Climateand Awesome conditions for workersand Energy useAnd anxiety more Iyast Hell cemeteries You can quickly kill excitement about shopping for a new tool. None of us wants to be complicit, but what can you do if these problems interest you?

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to find ethical and environmentally friendly electronics. But there are things you can do to reduce any negative effect that your purchases may have. Here are some of the ideas we collected, with the help of Tom Prison, technology specialist in Moral consumerThe United Kingdom magazine classifies brands on the basis of various categories, from environmental reports to workers’ rights.

It was updated in April 2025: We added Retrospekt to our recommended brands and some useful links.

Fix what you have

The best way to reduce your impact is Avoid buying new devices If you can. The undesirable truth is that every new tool has a cost of manufacturing, charging, operational, and in the end the waste.

“Most environmental impact, including carbon emissions, occurs during the manufacturing stage,” says Praison. “Estimates indicate that the electricity consumption in the use of a smartphone is less than 1 percent of the carbon emissions of the product.”

Who is better Keep using what you already have Or get fixed devices to extend their life whenever possible. Fortunately, this has become easier with The US Federal Trade Committee votes to enforce the right to reform. Manufacturers like apple and Samsung I started providing evidence and repair groups, but there They are still ways to go. If you want to check how to repair your tools, Ifixit has a guideIt is also a great place to find educational programs, evidence, and all the ingredients and tools needed to fix your devices. You may be able to rent the IFixit groups from your local library, and a wired employee is found when searching for Roomba repair.

Buy or have been renewed

Your device may not exceed repair, or you are shopping for a new class of devices you do not know. What then? Try shopping for the technology used or renewed. Sometimes you can get a discount on the devices that are often unquestious from new tools. You will not get like Wonderful buy somewhere like Apple Apple Store has been renewedBut you can rest assured that you will get a device that works completely in a new condition, with a guarantee.

For deeper discounts, you must buy from merchants or private sellers, but there are more risks. Follow our advice on The best technology used to buy And verify our evidence for How to buy a used phone and How to buy used devices on EBAY To enhance your chances of filling the deal while avoiding potentials.

Do you search?

To manufacture electronic devices, companies need to obtain many materials and components, usually from different countries. This means often that mining and assembly occurs in low -wage countries and a small protection for workers. “This complexity means that it is difficult to say with certainty that any device that is produced in a completely ethical way does not involve the exploitation of workers and does not harm the environment.”

What are you? He can DO is a closer look at the manufacturer behind the device you want and consider the most important problems for you. Ideally, the company will have strong policies on managing workers’ rights issues in the supply chain and material sources in an environmentally friendly manner. Look for evidence of how to reduce the company from carbon emissions in line with the goals based on science, and know if it tries to reduce harmful chemicals in its products. Also, consider avoiding taxes and transparency policy.

Searching for news stories and searching for the company’s sites can reach the problems they are talking about to a lot of work. Web sites, like the moral consumer, have made some legendary work here to intensify this information in points tables such as devices LED computers and Smartphones.

Standards to search for it

numerous Standards and signs It can help you assess the environmental and moral impact of various technology devices. It is worth searching for Mark (ecosystem for electronic product)Which is run by the Global Electronics Council. Registered products should meet different criteria for environmental performance and their effect.

Praison recommends Approved by TcoSustainability for technical products that look at a wide range of social and environmental factors in the life cycle of each product. To register an accredited designation of TCO, devices must fulfill standards related to design and manufacturing, including workers’ rights, conflict minerals, dangerous chemicals, user health and safety, durability, and recycling.

Consider the use of energy

Consumer electronics require energy for operation. Some of this energy is likely to come from burning fossil fuels, and the greater the energy that the device or device needs, the more electricity bills. Many devices have stickers that reveal their energy efficiency. Choosing more energy -saving devices and using environmental conditions can provide a large amount of energy over the age of the device.

In the United States, you will often see government -backed Power star The name, which means that the device corresponds to the energy efficiency standards determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. You can also find a file EnergyGuide Poster On some devices that offer estimated annual operating costs and energy use. UK power stickers and European Union Show energy efficiency on A to G scale to G, energy consumption, and other details such as size, noise and water consumption, then.