What is Digital Sustainability and How Can You Practice It?

It’s something that many of us don’t really think about that often as we’re so used to technology being ingrained now in our daily lives. But as the world is faced with increasing challenges on resources and the effects on the climate, it’s time to turn our attention to our digital behaviors too. Digital sustainability is all about utilizing technology in a way that supports the natural environment.

How To Practice Digital Sustainability

You can practice digital sustainability by making a conscious decision to limit your everyday energy consumption. Any activity that involves using a digital device, whether it be researching and assignment on the internet, gaming with friends, or updating your social media, has a digital carbon footprint. 

Here’s how to practice digital sustainability, curb your energy consumption, and make eco-conscious choices when it comes to managing your devices.

Unplug Your Charger

Keeping your devices plugged in after they’ve reached 100% charge wastes electricity and can kill the life of your battery, so limit your charging time to reduce your impact on the planet. When you’re done charging your device, unplug the charger entirely.

Charge From a Sustainable Source

Substitute your power usage by charging from a sustainable power source such as a solar-powered power pack or pedal-powered mobile charger and rest easy knowing your devices are powered with zero carbon energy.

Choose Power-Saving Settings

Set up your devices to maximize battery life by:

•   Reducing screen brightness

•   Choosing a dark screen theme and wallpaper

•   Limiting the time your screen is awake for after use

•   Turning off location services

•   Adjusting the settings on power-heavy apps

Power Down Your Devices

Limit your energy use by powering down devices when you’re not using them, and consider reducing your screen time to optimize a single charge. If you don’t need your smartphone on at home, switch it off. Turn your iPad off when it’s not in use and switch your laptop and television off at the wall when you’re not using them.

Cloud Storage

The server centers that store the photos and documents we save to the cloud guzzle energy to ensure our data is ready and waiting when we want to access it. If you think how many people are using this service you can imagine how much energy it’s using up. Take the time to sift through your folders and only save what you really need.

Eco-Friendly Browsers and Brands

Did you know that the carbon footprint of the world’s internet usage is estimated to exceed that of energy? Several big tech companies have taken steps to green their cloud by using 100% renewable energy. Spend your consumer dollars wisely and support green tech initiatives like Ecosia, the search engine who use their profits to plant trees in areas across the globe that need them most. Their servers also run on 100% renewable energy.

Maintain Your Tech

It can be tempting to upgrade our devices when new models come to market, but the most economical way to manage your tech is to use your devices until their batteries bite the dust or there are unfixable issues. 

Dispose Of Old Tech Responsibly 

The smart devices we have come to rely on contain a range of materials, including metals, plastics, and some valuable components like silver that can be extracted and re-used, so recycle your old tech whenever possible. Just be sure to wipe any personal data beforehand. Head to recyclenow.com to find out how to responsibly recycle your old tech.

JanSport is working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of our products by using recycled and waste materials. Read more about our path to sustainability here.