| Five bloody billion 12:43 - Feb 26 with 2954 views | NthQldITFC |
I just heard on Radio 4 that 5,000,000,000 mobile phones were 'thrown away' last year.
We are an absolute disgrace of a species and we didn't deserve stewardship of this once beautiful planet.
We probably won't have it for much longer, I reckon.
Rampant capitalist consumerism is a deadly cancer.
Are you complicit? |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 12:50 - Feb 26 with 2096 views | DarkBrandon |
Honestly, mobile phone waste is the least of our problems. |  | | |
| Five bloody billion on 12:55 - Feb 26 with 2063 views | giant_stow |
Despite the hypercritical upvote, yes I am complicit - I keep buying sub-£100 jobs that last a few months then either get unbearably slow or I drop and smash them with butter fingers. Must have 4 or 5 knocking about the house.
Not a massive consumerist type in other ways, but it's useful to be reminded - ta.
I hope you're wrong about our future, but fear you're right. |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 12:57 - Feb 26 with 2036 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
No, because I'm an incurable hoarder and have most of my mobiles still knocking about the place somewhere! |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:01 - Feb 26 with 2022 views | NthQldITFC |
| Five bloody billion on 12:50 - Feb 26 by DarkBrandon |
Honestly, mobile phone waste is the least of our problems. |
Well, I agree with you to some extent, but it's very representative of the thoughtless and selfish way many of us live.
We are in a disastrous death-spiral of ignoring science and rolling back even the pathetic efforts we've so far made to fight climate change, and distracting ourselves with gadgets and trivia and brain-dead consumer churn while we do it. | |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:03 - Feb 26 with 1999 views | J2BLUE |
I've had my iphone 10XR for about 4 years now so don't look at me!
They're on something like the 17 now as well. |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:06 - Feb 26 with 1972 views | DJR |
I've always gone for cheap phones but one thing that doesn't help is that phones don't update to later versions of, say, Android, which can mean apps stop working. I suppose it is built-in obsolescence.
Nevertheless, I've had my £150 phone since 2021 and don't plan to change it unless it packs up. Thus far its battery life is very good, and it's a nice small size., something that doesn't seem to be the case for many current phones.
[Post edited 26 Feb 13:09]
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| Five bloody billion on 13:09 - Feb 26 with 1949 views | LegendofthePhoenix |
| Five bloody billion on 12:50 - Feb 26 by DarkBrandon |
Honestly, mobile phone waste is the least of our problems. |
China has over 1,000 coal fired power stations. They make most of the mobile phones. Just sayin'. |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:09 - Feb 26 with 1945 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Five bloody billion on 13:06 - Feb 26 by DJR |
I've always gone for cheap phones but one thing that doesn't help is that phones don't update to later versions of, say, Android, which can mean apps stop working. I suppose it is built-in obsolescence.
Nevertheless, I've had my £150 phone since 2021 and don't plan to change it unless it packs up. Thus far its battery life is very good, and it's a nice small size., something that doesn't seem to be the case for many current phones.
[Post edited 26 Feb 13:09]
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The main problem I've found is batteries holding charge less and less as time goes on. I wouldn't bother changing either if it weren't for that. Same with laptops. | |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:10 - Feb 26 with 1940 views | J2BLUE |
| Five bloody billion on 13:09 - Feb 26 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The main problem I've found is batteries holding charge less and less as time goes on. I wouldn't bother changing either if it weren't for that. Same with laptops. |
Can the battery be replaced? I know you're not in Ipswich but for those who are, Armafone in Asda are very good. | |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:14 - Feb 26 with 1906 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| Five bloody billion on 13:10 - Feb 26 by J2BLUE |
Can the battery be replaced? I know you're not in Ipswich but for those who are, Armafone in Asda are very good. |
I don't think so in Google Pixels, which is what I have. I could be wrong though. | |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:17 - Feb 26 with 1863 views | Meadowlark |
It doesn't literally mean thrown away though does it? I assume it means no longer used / upgraded to the latest model, in which case they could be recycled, sold, passed on or just kept in a drawer. |  | | |
| Five bloody billion on 13:19 - Feb 26 with 1838 views | DJR |
| Five bloody billion on 13:09 - Feb 26 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The main problem I've found is batteries holding charge less and less as time goes on. I wouldn't bother changing either if it weren't for that. Same with laptops. |
I've never had one but I've heard it said that I-phones are particularly bad for that, and I have a feeling you can't replace the battery (or at least not easily).
They really do want people to upgrade to the latest version. [Post edited 26 Feb 13:19]
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| Five bloody billion on 13:19 - Feb 26 with 1837 views | DanTheMan |
| Five bloody billion on 13:14 - Feb 26 by The_Flashing_Smile |
I don't think so in Google Pixels, which is what I have. I could be wrong though. |
Annoyingly, due to the way they are made, replacing them can costs hundreds.
Used to be you could easily replace batteries but now basically no phone manufacturers support it. Very obvious why as well.
There is Fairphone but can't say I've ever used one to know how decent they are. |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:39 - Feb 26 with 1725 views | IndependentlyBlue |
Bought second-hand iPhone8 four years ago to replace 10-year-old dumb phone. Still works well, no problems with it. Don’t really understand the apparent need of some to have a new phone every six weeks or so. |  |
| Better to stay silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:48 - Feb 26 with 1690 views | J2BLUE |
| Five bloody billion on 13:39 - Feb 26 by IndependentlyBlue |
Bought second-hand iPhone8 four years ago to replace 10-year-old dumb phone. Still works well, no problems with it. Don’t really understand the apparent need of some to have a new phone every six weeks or so. |
I had a mate who needed the latest phone every time there was an upgrade. I always found it odd as he excitedly told me about the slightly faster processor, 2 megapixels extra on the camera and 1-2 other technical details I doubt anyone would have worked out if they were not told about them by the company.
It's such a huge advantage financially not to be materialistic. | |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:50 - Feb 26 with 1679 views | DanTheMan |
| Five bloody billion on 13:48 - Feb 26 by J2BLUE |
I had a mate who needed the latest phone every time there was an upgrade. I always found it odd as he excitedly told me about the slightly faster processor, 2 megapixels extra on the camera and 1-2 other technical details I doubt anyone would have worked out if they were not told about them by the company.
It's such a huge advantage financially not to be materialistic. |
Used to be genuinely useful new features between phones and OS updates.
But now I don't think they do anything different. If I could replace batteries easily and continue getting security updates I'd happily keep my phone until it stops functioning. | |
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| Five bloody billion on 13:54 - Feb 26 with 1659 views | vilanovablue |
Whilst I do up grade every year my replaced phone always goes to my sister and then normally she passes it on to my stepfather so I don't feel so guilty. |  | | |
| Five bloody billion on 14:49 - Feb 26 with 1514 views | Benters |
I reckon that’s crap that seems a awful lot of phones to me. [Post edited 27 Feb 3:56]
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| Five bloody billion on 14:50 - Feb 26 with 1505 views | bartyg |
| Five bloody billion on 14:49 - Feb 26 by Benters |
I reckon that’s crap that seems a awful lot of phones to me. [Post edited 27 Feb 3:56]
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Miserable old man you are |  | | |
| Five bloody billion on 14:51 - Feb 26 with 1497 views | Benters |
| Five bloody billion on 14:50 - Feb 26 by bartyg |
Miserable old man you are |
Sorry about that I’d had a liquid lunch. [Post edited 27 Feb 3:57]
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| Five bloody billion on 15:25 - Feb 26 with 1374 views | lowhouseblue |
since only some 1.6 billion phones were made last year, there must be 3.4 billion former phone users who have now given up. so that's saving energy at least.
(i don't believe the 5 billion) |  |
| And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show |
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| Five bloody billion on 15:32 - Feb 26 with 1337 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Five bloody billion on 15:25 - Feb 26 by lowhouseblue |
since only some 1.6 billion phones were made last year, there must be 3.4 billion former phone users who have now given up. so that's saving energy at least.
(i don't believe the 5 billion) |
I agree that 5 billion in one year sounds totally implausible. It could be that the figure rose to that total globally over history during last year which would sound more plausible to me. I would also question what is meant by "thrown away".
I think the salient point is that old mobiles should be recycled. |  |
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| Five bloody billion on 15:54 - Feb 26 with 1285 views | TJS |
| Five bloody billion on 15:32 - Feb 26 by Nthsuffolkblue |
I agree that 5 billion in one year sounds totally implausible. It could be that the figure rose to that total globally over history during last year which would sound more plausible to me. I would also question what is meant by "thrown away".
I think the salient point is that old mobiles should be recycled. |
I think it probably means 5 billion people discarded a perfectly good working mobile phone as they ( obviously) needed a shiny new one that was largely the same.
I regularly replace stuff only when it actually stops working or is very close to it.
Examples
2007 washing machine stopped working in 2025
2004 fridge freezer stopped working in 2022
2004 cooker still going (replaced oven element a couple of times) |  | | |
| Five bloody billion on 16:07 - Feb 26 with 1245 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
I haven’t had an iPhone that’s lasted 2 years without something breaking tbh. They aren’t all that.
Having said that why don’t people trade it in I though most are refurbished and often sold abroad. Must be a lot of dodgy people with burners… |  | | |
| Five bloody billion on 16:08 - Feb 26 with 1241 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
| Five bloody billion on 15:32 - Feb 26 by Nthsuffolkblue |
I agree that 5 billion in one year sounds totally implausible. It could be that the figure rose to that total globally over history during last year which would sound more plausible to me. I would also question what is meant by "thrown away".
I think the salient point is that old mobiles should be recycled. |
Everyone pleading poverty yet seemingly wealthy enough just to chuck a smartphone in the wheely bin…something doesn’t stack up there… [Post edited 26 Feb 16:09]
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