Environmental impact of manufacturing digital systems

Every digital system has an environmental cost before it is even switched on. A phone, laptop or games console starts as rock and metal dug out of the ground, is built in a factory that uses large amounts of electricity, then travels hundreds or thousands of miles to reach you.

Mining raw materials

Devices need raw materials such as copper, gold, tin and aluminium, plus rare materials like lithium and cobalt that are found in only small amounts. Getting them means clearing land and blasting rock, which destroys habitats and can pollute soil and streams.

• Heavy digging machines burn diesel, releasing carbon dioxide.
• Metals such as copper are spread thinly through the rock, so huge amounts of ore must be dug out and crushed, which uses a lot of energy and leaves large waste heaps.
• The crushed rock is then heated or treated with chemicals to separate out the metal, burning yet more fuel.

For example, the lithium in a phone battery is pumped from under salt flats, and the tiny amount in one phone adds up when millions are made each year.

Making and moving the device

Factories that refine metals, print circuit boards and mould plastic cases use a lot of electricity. Much of the world's electricity still comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas, so manufacturing releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The same happens when the finished device is moved: cargo ships, planes and lorries burn fuel and give off carbon dioxide and fumes.

So even a device that is switched off has already added to climate change through the way it was made and delivered.