Extending the lifespan of smartphones and other electronics by just one year would save the EU as much carbon emissions as taking 2 million cars off the roads annually, a new study finds.
Experts have assessed the climate benefits of making Europe’s smartphones, notebooks, washing machines and vacuum cleaners more durable.

The study found that extending the lifetime of the EU’s stock of these products by five years would save almost 10 million tonnes of emissions (CO2eq) annually by 2030. This is equivalent to taking 5 million cars off the roads for a year, roughly the number of cars registered in Belgium. Even just a one-year extension would result in 4 million tonnes of emissions savings annually, equivalent to taking all Danish cars (2 million) off the roads.

The report was published today by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) on behalf of the Coolproducts and Right to Repair campaigns.

Read the full article here.