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Mobile Innovations Inspiration 188
January 11, 2011

The Environmental Impact of Cell Phones

Just in time for next month’s Verizon iPhone release, we present to you a bit of thought-provoking, guilt-tripping data.

In this graphic by InfographicWorld was created for iAmGreen and brings to light some of the questions that nobody asks but everyone should. What happens to all of those cell phones that we simply stop using after we move on to the latest and greatest? How much power does it take to keep all of these cell phones running?

Is it likely that this graphic will make you toss out (in the recycling bin, of course) your cell phones and go back to the age of landlines? Of course not, but it makes for interesting trivia questions at cocktail parties.

Cellphone Infographic

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JD Rucker

JD Rucker

JD Rucker is Editor at Soshable, a Social Media Marketing Blog. He is a Christian, a husband, a father, and founder of both Judeo Christian Church and Dealer Authority. He drinks a lot of coffee, usually in the form of a 5-shot espresso over ice.

18 thoughts on “The Environmental Impact of Cell Phones”

  1. One smartphone needs around 5 kWh per year:

    5kWh is equivalent to 18 MJ. Even if assume that 80% lost during electricity generation, battery charging etc, it is still only 90 MJ per year, and 5-10 kg of CO2…

    Reply

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