Social and Ecological sustainability for consumer electronics

Chaitanya BhagwatApplied Computer Science

(Hogeschool Gent)

“A seriously cool smartphone that puts social values first”

as fair as possible Fair towards environmental and social issues

Who/what is Fairphone?

Dutch social enterprise Started as an awareness project about conflict materials in electronics

Lead by example, make a fair phone

The company

Bas van Abel

A phone that is as fair as possible: 100% fair is unrealistic Raise awareness with

consumers Raise pressure for big brands

to change A commercially viable product

The proposition

Technical specs: 1.2Ghz Quad-core cpu

16 GB internal flash memory

4.3” screen, 960*540 resolution

Dragontrail glass (scratch resistant)

Dual front/ rear camera

Android OS (4.2 Jelly Bean on launch)

Specifications

The product

The product

Cost Breakdown

Pricing€ 325, pre-order Of which € 22 for social and green initiatives Full cost breakdown available on http://www.fairphone.com/

25.000 phones sold out in

December,

35.000 more are being made

Adobe Acrobat Document

The Problem

What is the problem?

Social Ecological

• Working wages

• Social rights

• Health hazards

• Conflict mining

• Polluting heavy metals in e-

waste

• Rare minerals and metals

are a finite resource

Non- transparent supply-chain:

• tracking factories is very hard

-> hard to find out who’s responsible

Complex electronics:

recycling is specialised, too hard for most companies.

Sustainability

Product LifecycleConflict Mining (African mines)

labour conditions(China, South-east Asia)

Landfills and dump sites

The Problem

Gathering materials

Production

Product usage

product disposal

Highlight: Conflict Mines

tantalum, tin, cobalt, gold,... Needed for production.

African Mines: controlled by national armies and rebel troops, to fund their armed campaigns

Abuse of local labourers, health hazards due to inadequate equipment

The Problem

Conflict-free minerals

Initiatives that don’t fund illegal armed forces

Focus on small regions, formalise mining sector

Regional economic stability through emplyment

The Problem

Low wages Limited social rights Labour conditions No transparency in supply

chain: who to hold responsible?

Highlight: Assembly

Supply-chain transparency

Track down suppliers to improve accountability

Negotiating with suppliersKey points:

• living wages for workers• Working conditions, • Worker empowerment

Steb by step. End goal: Transparent, long

term relationships

The Problem

Planned obsolence (cfr. Apple lightning connector, fixed batteries)

Recycling requires effort Growing piles of landfill in

Africa and asia

Highlight: End of life processing

Gathering materials

Component production

Product assembly

Product usage

product is disposed of

Product Design“a product’s environmental impact is determined at the concept and design phase”

Design

Product Lifecycle

Fairphone design goals:

1. Long product life

2. Make it repairable

3. Take care of material

recovery

Product Lifecycle

1. Long product life

2. Replaceable battery: • battery lifespan <-> phone lifespan

Easy software updates: • open source hardware & software

Dual sim card: • eliminate need for multiple phones e.g. Work,

private

Product Lifecycle

1. Make it repairableEasy to disassemble

• repair phone screens• repair usb/audio connectors, camera

sensor, ...•

Product Lifecycle

1. Take care of material

recovery

Aim to build a 100% recycled phone• http://closingtheloop.eu/• http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/

Summary: the problems

There are social and ecological issues associated with consumer electronics

Projects are starting up to adress some of the issues e.g. Conflict-free minerals initiative, Close the loop

Fairphone wants to demonstrate a commercially viable proof-of-concept

Public demand for fair electronics is rising (fairphone sold out)

Product Lifecycle

Summary: changes in production

Avoid Conflict Mining, stimulate fair mining

Negotiate better working conditions for laborers

Invest in e-waste recycling, Collect obsolete products

Increase product lifeIncrease repairability

Gathering materials

Production

Product usage

product is disposed of

Summary: What can we do

As consumers As software designers

• Use product ‘till the end of their life. (replace batteries, not phones)

• consider buying used or refurbished electronics

• Donate/resell used products

• Support sustainability projects, recycle your gadget.

Design for longevity:

• Low hardware

requirements

• Backwards compatibility

(software and hardware)