Population is declining everywhere (or will do after the lag of the current old generation). It's a serious problem as the world will have fewer workers looking after more non-workers who are used to a higher standard of living htan before.
It's pretty much settled that it's far better to only make 1 device than 3, even if you were to recycle the 3 devices and not recycle the 1 device.
On the whole recycling is a con from companies who make a fortune by making more waste. Some recycling is far better than others, but reuse is orders of magnitude better.
In the past milk came in glass bottles, delivered, drank, and then reused. That's far better than recycling the bottles after just one use, although recycling glass is far better than plastic. But there's more money to be made selling you plastic in the supermarket several times a week, so that's what we have.
Same with electronics. Far better to reuse the electronics for multiple years than to get a new one each year. Same with clothing.
> I really don't understand the push-back here.
If you currently recycle 0% of a phone every 2 years, that throws 5 phones away every decade. If you recycle 0% of a phone every 6 years, that throws 1.7 phones every decade
If you currently recycle 30% of a phone every 2 years, that throws 3.5 phones away every decade. If you recycle 30% of a phone every 6 years, that throws 1.2 phones every decade
If you currently recycle 50% of a phone every 2 years, that throws 2.5 phones away every decade. If you recycle 50% of a phone every 6 years, that throws 0.8 phones every decade
To increase recycling levels to make it better to recycle, you'd have to go from 0% to 65% recycled, or from 30% to 75%.
As a consumer I don't want a new phone every 2 years, I don't have a new phone every 2 years. I've had 4 iphones in the last 15 years. I don't even pay for them - work gives them to me for free when I push a button. I don't want a new laptop every 2 years either, the laptop I'm typing on was new in 2017. I have a desktop that I rarely use, but that still does the exact same job it did in 2016 when it was new.
> It's pretty much settled that it's far better to only make 1 device than 3, even if you were to recycle the 3 devices and not recycle the 1 device.
It's certainly neither settled not factual.
> Far better to reuse the electronics for multiple years than to get a new one each year. Same with clothing.
The point isn't whether it is 'better' or not. The point is that if you don't ultimately properly dispose of them through recycling you haven't solved anything. At best you've slowed the rate at which we're covering the planet in trash but obviously the end result will be the same: It will end up covered.
> Population is declining everywhere
Not yet and current level is unsustainable (as we're seeing) whether you do symbolic gestures like keeping your smartphone longer or not.
It's pretty much settled that it's far better to only make 1 device than 3, even if you were to recycle the 3 devices and not recycle the 1 device.
On the whole recycling is a con from companies who make a fortune by making more waste. Some recycling is far better than others, but reuse is orders of magnitude better.
In the past milk came in glass bottles, delivered, drank, and then reused. That's far better than recycling the bottles after just one use, although recycling glass is far better than plastic. But there's more money to be made selling you plastic in the supermarket several times a week, so that's what we have.
Same with electronics. Far better to reuse the electronics for multiple years than to get a new one each year. Same with clothing.
> I really don't understand the push-back here.
If you currently recycle 0% of a phone every 2 years, that throws 5 phones away every decade. If you recycle 0% of a phone every 6 years, that throws 1.7 phones every decade
If you currently recycle 30% of a phone every 2 years, that throws 3.5 phones away every decade. If you recycle 30% of a phone every 6 years, that throws 1.2 phones every decade
If you currently recycle 50% of a phone every 2 years, that throws 2.5 phones away every decade. If you recycle 50% of a phone every 6 years, that throws 0.8 phones every decade
To increase recycling levels to make it better to recycle, you'd have to go from 0% to 65% recycled, or from 30% to 75%.
As a consumer I don't want a new phone every 2 years, I don't have a new phone every 2 years. I've had 4 iphones in the last 15 years. I don't even pay for them - work gives them to me for free when I push a button. I don't want a new laptop every 2 years either, the laptop I'm typing on was new in 2017. I have a desktop that I rarely use, but that still does the exact same job it did in 2016 when it was new.