Digital Detox: Reducing Pollution With Mindful Tech Use

The internet has become an integral part of our lives, but it's important to recognise that our online activity has environmental consequences. Digital pollution is a growing issue, contributing to climate change and harming the planet. From sending emails to streaming videos, our internet usage leaves a significant ecological footprint. With the number of internet users rapidly increasing, it's crucial to address the impact of digital pollution and find ways to reduce it. This involves understanding the sources of digital pollution, such as manufacturing, practices, and e-waste/recycling, and making conscious choices to minimise our digital carbon footprint.

Delete unnecessary emails

Deleting unnecessary emails is a great way to reduce your digital pollution footprint. Emails stored in a mailbox require energy to be conserved, and the servers that store this data are constantly running. In fact, an email stored in an email account for one year emits 19g of CO2. That's the same as driving 621.3 miles by car.

So, how can you go about deleting unnecessary emails? Start by reviewing your inbox and identifying any emails that you no longer need. This could include promotional emails, newsletters, or old emails that are no longer relevant. If you receive a large number of promotional emails or newsletters, you may want to consider unsubscribing from some of them.

Once you've identified the emails you no longer need, simply select and delete them. You can also create filters or rules in your email settings to automatically delete certain types of emails or move them to a specific folder. This can help you stay on top of your inbox and ensure that unnecessary emails don't accumulate over time.

Additionally, you can use email management tools or apps that can help you identify and delete unnecessary emails. These tools can also help you unsubscribe from newsletters or promotional emails that you no longer want to receive.

By taking the time to delete unnecessary emails and reduce the number of emails stored in your inbox, you can significantly reduce your digital pollution footprint. This simple action can have a positive impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable digital future.

Limit copied-in receivers

One of the best ways to reduce digital pollution is to limit the number of copied-in receivers on your emails. Every additional receiver on an email increases carbon emissions, with 6 grams of CO2 emitted for each additional recipient. This may not seem like a lot, but it adds up quickly when you consider the sheer volume of emails sent every day.

To put it into perspective, 10 billion emails are sent every hour globally, and each email emits 10 grams of CO2. That means for every email with 10 recipients, 100 grams of CO2 are emitted. By limiting the number of copied-in receivers, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

So, how can you implement this in your daily life? Here are some tips:

• Before adding a recipient, ask yourself if they really need to be included. Only add people who truly need to be part of the conversation.
• Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field when emailing a large group. This will hide the email addresses of the recipients and reduce the sense of contributing to digital pollution.
• If you need to send an email to a group of people, consider creating a mailing list or distribution list instead of adding each recipient individually. This will reduce the number of individual email addresses in the "To" field.
• Encourage your colleagues and friends to do the same. The more people who adopt this practice, the greater the collective impact.

By following these simple steps, you can make a significant difference in reducing digital pollution. Remember, small actions can lead to big changes!

Stop unnecessary internet searches

The internet is often seen as an abstract concept, but the technology that supports it is very physical, with a network of cables, servers, and other energy-intensive infrastructure. As such, the internet is a major contributor to climate change, and digital pollution is an issue that affects the collective well-being of the planet and everyone on it.

One way to reduce your carbon footprint and limit digital pollution is to stop unnecessary internet searches. This can be achieved in a few ways:

Firstly, you can save frequently visited websites to your favourites or bookmarks, and access them directly, rather than typing the same search query into a search engine each time. This simple step can help to avoid unnecessary emissions.

Secondly, you can use the URL bar more effectively. By using accurate keywords in the URL bar, you can reduce CO2 emissions by 5kg per year, which is the equivalent of a 40km car ride. This is a more efficient way of searching than using a search engine, and it also helps to reduce your carbon footprint.

Thirdly, you can use a search engine that prioritises sustainability, such as Lilo, which compensates for your CO2 emissions by financing environmental projects.

Additionally, you can disable web search results on your operating system. For example, Windows 10 and 11 have the option to turn off web search results and stop your operating system from pulling up web results when you are simply looking for files and apps. Disabling these web search results can speed up your PC and reduce unnecessary internet searches.

By implementing these steps, you can play a part in reducing digital pollution and its impact on the environment.

Send smaller emails

The internet is a major contributor to climate change, with the web generating 2% of the planet's CO2 emissions. One way to reduce your carbon footprint is to send smaller emails.

Firstly, ask yourself if the attached file is necessary. If it is, consider if it can be compressed. By reducing the size of your attachments, you can keep your mailbox size small and reduce the amount of energy required to send and store your emails.

There are several ways to compress files. One method is to use a file compression software such as WinZip or WinRar. You can also compress files by saving them in a compressed (zipped) folder. On a Windows computer, right-click on a file, go to "Send to", and click on "Compressed (zipped) folder". On a Mac, control-click the file and click "Compress". Then select "\.zip" from the dropdown menu and click "Create". Once your file is compressed, you can attach it to your email as you normally would.

Another way to send large files is to upload them to a cloud-based sharing service, such as Google Drive or WeTransfer. These platforms typically don't have file size limits, and you can make specific files or entire folders shareable by sending a link via email. The downside to this method is that it requires using a third-party service and, in some cases, your recipient may need to sign up for that platform as well.

By sending smaller emails, you can help reduce digital pollution and lower your carbon footprint.

Limit cloud usage

The cloud is a major contributor to digital pollution. The online storage of files consumes a lot of energy, which has a heavy impact on the environment. Data centres that store our data are very intensive and need to be permanently air-conditioned to be cooled. This energy usage results in a large release of CO2.

To limit cloud usage, it is recommended to use USB drives or external hard drives to exchange heavy files. This reduces the energy needed for the transfer and treatment of emails.

Additionally, it is suggested to clean out your inbox regularly and unsubscribe from newsletters that you don't read. This helps reduce the energy consumed by storing emails in your mailbox. It is also advised to limit the number of receivers copied on emails, as each additional receiver results in more CO2 emissions.

By implementing these practices, you can significantly reduce your digital carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Frequently asked questions