A UK charity has calculated the emissions that could be saved by resisting Black Friday marketing
ADVERTISEMENTMore than a third of UK adults are planning to buy a new smartphone in the annual Black Friday sales, which begin on 24 November.
Pressure from retailers, influencers and peers - along with fear of missing out on a good deal - all contribute to ‘Phone-mo’ around upgrades, according to UK-based charity Population Matters.
Alongside the strain on wallets, this ‘upgrade madness’ has a serious impact on the environment.
“Selling and buying more stuff isn’t the route to happier lives on a healthier planet,” says Alistair Currie, head of campaigns and communications at Population Matters.
“We need to reconsider our purchasing habits and ask ourselves not just can we afford it, but can the planet afford it?”
Half of young people in the UK will buy a new phone during Black Friday sales
Nearly 40 per cent of UK adults intend to buy a new phone in Black Friday promotions, rising to 53 per cent amongst those aged 18 to 24, according to a survey by Population Matters.
Its research found that almost one in five young people feel under pressure from retailers, influencers and friends to have the latest model, whilst 40 per cent fear missing out on a bargain.
This ‘Phone-mo’ is likely to be in part due to the high volume of adverts and marketing materials people receive from retailers and manufacturers at this time of year, says the charity.
More than half of respondents say they have seen an advert or received marketing materials in the past month encouraging them to upgrade their phone this Black Friday.
Charity urges Brits to avoid buying a new phone for Black Friday
If 53 per cent of all 18-24-year-olds in the UK went ahead and bought the new iPhone 15, it would generate 156 million kg of carbon emissions - the equivalent of driving 1.8 trillion miles in an average petrol-powered car - according to Population Matters.
The charity is urging Brits to resist the pressure to upgrade their mobile phone this Black Friday, to promote sustainability.
It is also calling on mobile phone manufacturers to stop releasing annual upgrades and on retailers to stop offering deals encouraging people to dump functional phones after just one year.
Earlier this year, the organisation released a report outlining the marketing techniques and environmental impact of Apple phones.
They found that many people agreed manufacturers should concentrate on making phones more long-lasting and reliable instead of adding new features.
A quarter also said that they would consider opting to refurbish their current phone, instead of buying a new one, if retailers offered promotions and incentives to do this.
“Mobile phone manufacturers and retailers spend billions at this time of year trying to persuade us all that we need the latest, slightly tweaked, version of their product when the existing one already serves our needs,” says Currie.
“This research shows that they are succeeding - but also that people are increasingly seeing through the hype and want change.”
What is the environmental impact of mobile phone production?
There are several negative environmental effects associated with smartphone production.
ADVERTISEMENTThese include the impact of extraction and processing of elements such as copper and aluminium; the carbon emissions associated with design, manufacture, distribution and disposal of the products (including recycling); and the resulting e-waste.
Working conditions at precious metal mines are often poor, with workers being underpaid and sometimes exploited.
Apple facilities alone used 1.4 billion gallons of water in 2021/22, of which almost 90 per cent is freshwater primarily from municipal sources, according to Population Matters.
A 2021 article from business technology news website ZDNET calculated that if Apple stopped selling its hardware, about 80 per cent of it would become obsolete within 8 years and result in 200,000 metric tonnes of waste.
