The growing awareness and concern for nature in recent decades has provoked many people to rethink their behavior when shopping, using electronic devices or traveling. Consumers not only choose more responsibly, but also pay more attention to the footprint they leave with their actions. Quite naturally, apps for tracking the negative footprint also appear, which at the same time give advice for a more sustainable everyday life.
Driven by the message that small steps are important for big change, Yettel encourages users to use technology more responsibly through a number of information and educational initiatives. Among the latter are the interactive installation “The Yettel RECYCLER”, which tells about electronic waste, and “The Green Cause” – a newsletter with easy-to-implement ideas for a greener lifestyle.
The operator’s annual survey on the topic outlines the most common habits for responsible use of electronic devices and limiting the negative footprint.
One of the most popular practices is regular cleaning of devices from unnecessary files. 63% of users spend time deleting unnecessary photos, documents, audio and video recordings, etc. from the internal memory of their devices, and 54% also clean the storage of the cloud services they use. Although it sounds like a small thing, it helps free up space for new information, making the phone or laptop usable for a longer time. And in the case of cloud services, it reduces the space occupied by the servers and, accordingly, the amount of electricity consumed.
Writing fewer emails also turns out to be a preferred practice. 57% of people have restricted the sending of e-mail messages when not necessary, as this helps to reduce the load on servers and the associated carbon emissions.
Every second Bulgarian has the habit of unplug the chargers outside of charging time, and 47% also turn off their household appliances with always-on screens and those that will not be used for a long time. This not only saves electricity, but also reduces the electricity bill.
Almost everything can be recycled
Batteries are an indispensable part of our daily lives, powering everything from remote controls to laptops and cordless household appliances. Due to their small size and wide distribution, their technological complexity and potential danger in case of improper treatment are often underestimated. Batteries contain chemicals, including heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury. If they are not properly treated and disposed of in general waste, harmful substances can enter the soil and water, causing serious environmental pollution.
The good news is that according to the survey, 43% of consumers are aware of this risk and recycle their old batteries in specially designed containers. This shows that more and more people understand the need to treat hazardous waste responsibly. In addition, almost 1/4 of Bulgarians choose to use rechargeable batteries, which extends their life cycle and thus reduces the waste generated.
When it comes to legacy smart accessories like headphones, smartwatches, and fitness bands, Yettel’s survey data is encouraging. 61% of Bulgarians – 6 percentage points more compared to a year earlier – state that they have developed a habit of recycling them – another positive sign of growing environmental awareness. 31% dispose of unnecessary cables in designated containers, contributing to a cleaner environment and reducing electronic waste.
It is also optimistic that nearly half of those surveyed are willing to reduce their footprint on the environment. Almost 70% of the survey participants express a willingness to recycle their old devices in the future. A sign that the trend towards more responsible consumption and management of e-waste continues to grow, which is key to protecting the environment and reducing its negative footprint.
With every small step, from deleting unnecessary files, unplugging appliances or recycling old electronics and accessories, consumers show their responsibility to the planet and reduce their negative footprint. These goals are also among Yettel’s priorities set in the strategy for sustainable development of the telecom. One of them reaches up to 2.5 million people a year with the messages of an environmentally friendly lifestyle and responsible use of technology. By raising awareness of the topic and promoting the proper treatment of end-of-use electronic devices, the telco is actively working to achieve its long-term ambition of preventing 127 tons of e-waste from entering the environment by 2028. For the first two years of its strategy’s launch, thanks to a number of initiatives such as “Recycle and Save”, Yettel managed to prevent 47.5 tons of e-waste from being dumped in landfills.
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