We all love Shiny new electronics. However, every new smartphone or laptop has luggage. Weighing climate fears, horrible conditions for workers, energy usage, and concerns about the hell ewaste cemetery can quickly kill your excitement about shopping for new gadgets. None of us wants to be accomplices, but what should you do if these issues are related to you?
Sadly, there is no easy way to find ethically manufactured and environmentally friendly electronics. However, there are some steps you can do to reduce any negative impacts that your purchase may have. Here are some ideas we did with the help of technologist Tom Bryson Ethical ConsumerThis is a British magazine that ranks brands based on categories, from environmental reporting to workers’ rights.
Updated April 2025: We added Retrospekt to recommended brands and some useful links.
Table of contents
Repair what you have
The best way to minimize the impact is to avoid buying new equipment. The incredible fact is that every new gadget has a cost in manufacturing, transportation, operating life and ultimately waste.
“Most environmental impacts, including carbon emissions, occur during the manufacturing phase,” Bryson said. “It is estimated that the actual use of smartphones accounts for only 1% of product emissions.”
It is best to continue using something you already have or repair equipment to extend its lifespan as much as possible. Thankfully, it has become easier for the FTC to vote for the maintenance rights. Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are starting to offer guides and repair kits, but there is still some way to go. If you want to check how well a gadget is, then Ifixit has a guide and is also a great place to find tutorials, guides, and all the necessary components and tools to fix the device. You can even rent an iFixit kit from your local library, just like a wired worker found out when he wanted to fix her Roomba.
Buy a used or refurbished
Maybe your device is not repairable, or you are buying new equipment that you are not very familiar with. What about that? Try shopping used technology or renovation technology. Sometimes you can enjoy discounts on your device, which is usually indistinguishable from a brand new device. You won't get As Great deals to buy, such as Apple certified refurbished stores, but you can rest assured that you will get the perfect working equipment in new conditions and a warranty is provided.
To get a deeper discount, you have to buy the use from a dealer or private seller, but there are more risks involved. Follow our advice on buying and viewing how to buy a used phone and how to buy a used phone on eBay to increase your chances of bargaining in bags while avoiding potential pitfalls.
Conduct research
To manufacture electronic equipment, companies often need to source large amounts of materials and components from various countries. This usually means that mining and gatherings occur in countries with low wages and little protection for workers. “This complexity means it's hard to say with certainty that any equipment is produced in a completely ethical way, does not involve exploiting workers and does not harm the environment,” Bryson said.
What are you able Doing is to carefully study the manufacturer behind the equipment needed and consider what issues are most important to you. Ideally, the company would manage workers’ rights issues in the supply chain and procure materials in an environmentally friendly manner, creating strong policies. Find evidence on how a company can reduce its carbon emissions based on science-based goals and determine if it is trying to reduce harmful chemicals in its products. Also, consider tax avoidance and policy transparency.
Searching news stories and mining companies’ websites to see the issues they are talking about can be a lot of work. Websites like Ethical Consumers do some legwork here to put that information on the rating sheets for devices like laptops and smartphones.
The criteria for finding
Several standards and labels can help you evaluate the environmental and ethical impact of different technical equipment. It is worth looking for the Epeat (Environmental Assessment Tool) tag managed by the Global Electronics Commission. Registered products must comply with various environmental performance and impact standards.
Bryson recommends using TCO certification, a sustainable label technology product that takes into account a wide range of social and environmental factors throughout each product’s life cycle. To rate the TCO certified label, the equipment must comply with standards related to design and manufacturing, including worker rights, conflict minerals, hazardous chemicals, user health and safety, durability, and recyclability.
Consider energy use
Consumer electronic equipment requires electricity to operate. Some of this energy may come from burning fossil fuels, and the more power the selected equipment or equipment requires, the higher your electricity bill. Many devices have labels that reveal their energy efficiency. Choosing more energy-efficient devices and using ECO mode can save a lot of power over the life of the device.
In the U.S., you often see the government-backed Energy Star tag, which means the device complies with the energy efficiency standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. You can also find tabs for Energy Guides on certain devices to show estimated annual operating costs and energy usage. The UK and EU energy labels show energy efficiency in A to G, energy consumption, and other details such as related cases.
