Why will using a computer have such a big impact on the environment?

Let's take the example of the transmission of information when sending an e-mail. At each stage of processing, we use equipment that provides energy to manufacture and operate: boxes, storage disks, a series of routers, cables (copper, optical fiber), storage units and attendants. Therefore, the materials required to use and manufacture them are included in the calculation of the ecological footprint.

There's no need to cut off our internet account or turn off our smartphone for life! We can make some quick and easy "adjustments" to reduce our digital footprint today.

How can I reduce my ecological footprint?

1- Sort emails and reduce sending

Did you know that? Email is one of the biggest sources of pollution. To give you a general idea, deleting 30 emails saves the same energy as the daily consumption of a light bulb.

Therefore, it is recommended to unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters, delete spam, and of course, empty the recycle garbage can regularly. For the latter, nothing could be simpler than setting up an automatic deletion of the recycle garbage can at the desired frequency. (For example, every 30 days).

2- Close inactive tabs

Naively, one could think that if several tabs are opened during a search, and that a tab is not in use, it does not consume anything. Unfortunately, this is not the case! It constantly communicates and sends energy-consuming messages.

3- Reduce the screen brightness

Low brightness and why not the use of blue/yellow screens can reduce the energy consumption of computers and cell phones.

4- Unplug all appliances

It's time to go to bed, you need to rest and so do your devices! It's not about stopping their work by leaving them on extended standby.

Therefore, at night, even if it can be tedious, consider unplugging everything: from Internet boxes to televisions, computers to smartphones ... etc ... Your electricity bill will thank you.

6-Choose an environmentally friendly search engine

We know you have small habits, but we quickly got used to other search engines than Google. Moreover, they give part of their income to ecological associations. We can note Qwant, Duckduckgo, and especially Ecosia.

7-Referring to green policies

Some fonts are designed to use as little ink as possible when printing or to take up less space on the PDF when sending. For example, the "Ecofont" font can reduce ink consumption by over 20% compared to the average value of other fonts.

8- Reduce downloading and streaming

By downloading music, video and streaming, the server transmits the data only once. According to Ademe, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, online video represents "60% of the world's data flow and nearly 1% of global CO2 emissions".

9- Use wifi instead of 4G

The energy required for 4G is 23 times higher than for wifi! This is especially true if you download series or music.

10 -Remove unnecessary software

By default, some software installed on a new computer may be useless. Do not hesitate to uninstall them without hesitation, as they slow down the whole system and shorten the life of your computer.

Also, regularly emptying the "downloads" folder and installing shortcuts on your computer will reduce your digital footprint.

11- Choose refurbished instead of new

Do everything possible to ensure that your equipment lasts as long as possible, because according to Ademe "using a longer computer, thus extending its lifespan by 3 years, can avoid emissions of 2.3 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per year".

However, if this is not possible, recycling can be considered first. Professional brands have a responsibility to return them to their original condition, gain a second life or repair as many components as possible. Then, if you plan to buy the equipment back, consider refurbishing it. The production capacity of smartphones is 80 kilograms of carbon dioxide and 330 kilograms of carbon dioxide for a laptop!

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