Our everyday activities have an environmental impact and the telecommunications sector is no exception. While digital solutions can help to reduce emissions, they are also major consumers of energy.
That being said, new technologies and the resources made available go a long way towards preserving the environment and, if everyone does their bit, gradually things can get better. ♻️
That’s why we’ve zeroed in on several day-to-day gestures that can make a difference.
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Extend the life of your devices
We change our devices on average every 2 years, but it just takes a few simple hacks to make them last much longer:
- Charge smartly and plug in your devices as soon as the battery reaches 30% and then unplug as soon as it reaches 100%. There’s no point in leaving a device plugged in, as this can damage the battery
- Perform regular application and system updates and clear your device's memory cache to improve device performance
- Lighten your devices by deleting unnecessary applications, folders and documents
- Make a habit of activating "energy saving mode" on your devices to optimize the battery and "airplane mode" to avoid unnecessary frequencies when the device isn’t being used
- Turn off your devices in standby mode and unplug your chargers to save up to 10% of your energy consumption and bill!
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Use ethical search engine
Search engines are not really green because of the large data centers it takes to run them. However, some can be flagged for for their environmentally responsible approach, such as Ecosia, Ecogine or Lilo. 
These search engines donate part of their profits to associations working for the environment.
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Bookmark frequently visited pages
Each search generates CO2 because of the data indexed by the search engine.
To cut back on this impact, you’re better off selecting the URL directly in the search bar to generate fewer pages, and, above all, making the most of the "favorite" option to save and access frequently consulted pages.
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Lighten your mailbox and its contents
Sending an email of 1 MB with an attachment is equivalent to using a 25W light bulb for an hour. ✉️ Email management can have a significant impact on energy costs:
- Remove the signature or reduce it to plain text
- Reduce the number of unnecessary attachments sent (use WeTransfer folders which delete data after a certain time),
- Unsubscribe from useless newsletters at the end of each email or with the CleanFox tool.
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Only print when absolutely necessary and/or use recycled paper
Switch to digital invoices, pay slips, or file. And to avoid overloading your mailboxes, think about saving and creating folders on your digital desktop!
But if you still want to print on paper, print on both sides of the page and in a smaller font, or think about using recycled paper to reduce your footprint as much as possible!
