Desire for newest mobiles ‘destroying the planet’
THE never-ending desire for the latest iPhone or smartphone is destroying the planet, experts have warned.
Just manufacturing the 85 million phones lying forgotten in desk drawers across the UK has created 84,000 tonnes of harmful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. University of Surrey researchers added they contain around £110 million worth of gold and millions more in other precious metals that often end up in rubbish tips.
Unless there was a complete overhaul of the way mobile devices are made and contracted, our throwaway culture will continue to produce devastating environmental impacts, they said. Angus Howarth