DIY smartphone fixing and recycling could help improve sustainability
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - 12:02:23
For the vast majority of smartphone owners, when a handset is damaged in some way there is little chance of having the technical knowledge to actually fix the issue at home. And so people either put up with the issue or, if it is serious enough, send the phone to be repaired or replaced by professionals.
The least sustainable thing you can do with a damaged phone is simply throw it in the bin, which is a waste of an opportunity to recycle it, earn a bit of cash even if it is damaged, and ensure that the precious components which it contains can be salvaged rather than wasted.
To help improve things further, software giant, Microsoft, has announced a new partnership with popular tech testing site, iFix it, with the intention being to create an online archive which people can use to carry out some DIY fixes on their damaged phones, according to V3.co.uk.
As well as providing dedicated manuals designed to explain the processes involved in typical repairs, the network will foster a community of users, who can help one another out if something disastrous happens to their device. And because all of this will be provided for free, there will be no barrier to entry, allowing anyone with a bit of free time to start tinkering.
The issue with some smartphones is that they are designed in such a way as to prevent anyone except a professional from getting under the skin and attempting to fix an issue. This is especially true of the iPhone range from Apple, although Android devices tend to be a little more accessible.
Google's plans to release a modular mobile will make homebrew repairs even easier to achieve, but until then you could repair your device yourself or sell it online, so that it can be recycled responsibly.
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