Smartphones: 4 eco-responsible moves to reduce your digital carbon footprint

On 5 June, we celebrate the World Environment Day. It is an opportunity to take stock of the best practices to adopt in order to preserve the planet thanks to the RE Program.

Smartphones have a significant ecological footprint, but did you know that 70% of this is linked to the production of the devices? Considering the extraction of the metals needed to make them, the energy used to assemble them and the transport they take to our hands, it's all the more important to opt for responsible modes of consumption.

Here are 4 ways in which you can do your bit.

1) Take care of your device

The better you look after your smartphone, the better off the planet will be! It's all about adopting small habits, starting with investing in a protective case and glass sold and installed free of charge in Orange shops. Other little tricks, such as keeping the charge level between 30% and 80% or recharging your mobile in airplane mode, also help to limit the wear and tear on your device's battery.

And if, even with all the precautions taken, you break your device, why not take it back to an Orange shop to check whether it can be repaired before considering buying a new one?   

2) Trade-in your old smartphone

Have you ever heard of circular economy? The principle is very simple: reuse, repair and recycle products for as long as possible in order to conserve resources as much as possible.

So a good habit to adopt is to give your old smartphone back to an Orange shop when you decide to buy a new one. On the one hand, this allows you to benefit from a voucher up to €856 for the value of the phone taken back, and on the other hand you're doing a simple thing for the environment by giving it a second life. With Orange Reprise, your phone will be sent to our partner Comparecyle for reconditioning.

3) Try a refurbished smartphone

So far, you don't know the difference between a reconditioned smartphone and a second-hand smartphone?

Choosing a refurbished smartphone means you can be sure that it has been refurbished to excellent condition, tested to meet dozens of strict criteria and re-configured. It is also the assurance of having a device at a lower cost, 100% functional, guaranteed for 2 years and supplied with the same new accessories as a new device. Orange has 2 refurbished iPhone models available: the iPhone SE and iPhone 11.

4) Go for an eco-designed smartphone

Looking for a high-performance smartphone that's fair-trade and environmentally friendly? Made from 70% fair-trade and recycled materials, the Fairphone 5 delivers the performance of a great one, thanks to its Android 13 operating system, dynamic OLED screen and 3 50MP cameras.

The little extras: operating system updates are guaranteed until 2031, you can change more than a dozen parts yourself, and the Fairphone 5 comes with a 5-year warranty. Enough to tip the scales in its favour, don't you think?