In occasion World Earth Daycelebrated last year on April 22, Swappy revealed the results of a study regarding Italians’ awareness of the impact of their CO2 emissions. The survey showed that more than 80% of participants estimate that they generate around 10 kg of e-waste per year. However, real data shows that the actual amount of e-waste produced is around 20 kg per year. This gap between perception and reality underscores the importance of raising awareness of the scale of discarded electronic devices, as dependence on technology and the inevitable increase in waste production are now a common reality: just imagine a five-fold increase in global e-waste production. faster than expected. Another wake-up call comes from a United Nations study which reveals that a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2022, an 82% increase compared to 2010, and a further 32% increase is expected in 2030, up to 82 million tons.
Despite these figures, consumer awareness led to a positive result: most Italians acknowledged that e-waste is expected to increase by up to 75 million tonnes by 2030. If this data is transferred to everyday life, it is equivalent to discarding 1000 laptops every second. In this context, Swappie explored a central theme of its business and surveyed consumers’ opinions on the amount of CO2 produced by the new iPhone in its first year of life. The results showed a significant gap between perception and reality: while actual estimates put around 80 kg of emissions per device, only 20% of participants had accurate knowledge of this figure. The majority, 60% of respondents, placed estimates between 25 kg and 65 kg, while a smaller proportion overestimated emissions, reaching almost 100 kg. Swappie’s mission is two-fold: to increase knowledge and awareness of numbers that have a significant impact on the environment, and to contribute to environmental sustainability by offering high-quality, affordable alternatives to consumers. “The results of our study highlight the importance of raising public awareness about e-waste and its harmful effects on our planet. There is a clear desire among consumers to make more informed decisions to reduce their impact on the environment, but the responsibility goes further: at Swappie, we are committed to informing more and more people about e-waste and how everyone can contribute to the world. better place,” he said Elena Garbujo by Swappie Italia.
Although statistics on individual environmental impacts are still little known, it has been shown that the vast majority of consumers are concerned about the footprint they are leaving on Earth. This data raises hope for an increase in environmentally conscious choices for a more sustainable future.