A device is mined, made, used and discarded. Owners see one of those four stages, and the other three carry most of the environmental and health cost.
One device's life, with the stage that dominates the footprint marked.
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The number that changes the argument: For a phone, manufacturing produces far more emissions than using it ever will.
That single fact means keeping a device longer matters far more than how carefully it is charged — and it points the answer at repair rather than at behaviour.
Why devices are replaced
- Software support ends, so the device stops receiving security updates while working perfectly.
- The battery cannot be replaced, because it is glued in and replacement costs close to a new device.
- Parts and manuals are not available, so independent repair is not possible even when somebody is willing.
- New features arrive only in new hardware, which is a business decision rather than a technical necessity.
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Real-world examples you can name
Agbogbloshie e-waste site, Accra — scrapyard cleared July 2021
A scrapyard where imported electronics were stripped and cables burned to recover copper, releasing lead and dioxins. It became the standard example of e-waste exported from rich countries to poor ones. Authorities demolished much of the site in 2021; the trade moved rather than stopped.
Who it affected: Workers and nearby residents exposed to heavy metals and smoke.
Precision agriculture and the right to repair — memorandum of understanding with US farmers January 2023
Tractors guided by GPS apply seed and spray field by field, cutting inputs. Because the software is locked, farmers could not repair their own machines; after years of pressure the manufacturer agreed to make tools and manuals available.
Who it affected: Farmers whose harvest window does not wait for an authorized technician.
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — in force since May 2018
A regulation giving people rights over data held about them — to see it, correct it, have it erased and take it elsewhere — and requiring a lawful basis before an organization may process it at all. Fines can reach 4% of a company's worldwide annual turnover.
Who it affected: Everyone in the EU, and any organization anywhere that handles EU residents' data.
Who carries it: E-waste is largely exported. It is stripped by hand and often burnt to recover metal, so the health cost lands on people who never owned the device and gained nothing from it.
How this is tested — e-waste questions are common and reward an answer that names the stage rather than the problem. It comes up two ways:
Paper 1 — structured question
- Part c: evaluate a right-to-repair rule
- Part b: explain why recycling does not solve e-waste
Paper 2 — source-based question
- Q4: synthesise sources on electronic waste
- HL Paper 3: recommend an intervention at the right stage
The trap: “we should recycle more”: Recycling addresses the smallest part of the footprint. Because making it dominates, lengthening the life is the larger lever.
Explain one reason why keeping a device longer helps more than recycling it.
Model answer plan
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Evaluate a law requiring manufacturers to supply spare parts and repair information.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.