As we moved into the New Year a couple of weeks ago, I renewed my resolve to contribute to the global effort on environmental sustainability. The operative word here being “renew” – for the past decade or more, being conscious of my own carbon footprint has been a major area of focus. As has been the desire to positively influence this metric in the IS organizations I manage.

Now, more than ever, working in a way that is good for the environment is making a shift to being a core business priority rather than just a standalone initiative, with industries as a whole taking big steps towards turning sustainable. This is the larger picture and I believe we, as individuals, can equally do a lot more to contribute to this pressing need of the human race.

First and foremost, we can reduce electronic waste significantly through our actions and look more consciously towards our personal energy consumption. For example, producing the average desktop computer leads to consumption of an estimated 400 gallons of water (in the case of laptops, this jumps to 1100 gallons!). And, while we as individuals can’t necessarily influence production factors to bring these astounding statistics down, we can make a difference through the choices we make.

One of the ways to do this is to focus on DIY gadgets. For a long time now, I have chosen to assemble my own devices where I can. A self-assembled device feels like a piece of art, and the feeling of accomplishment when it’s up and functions smoothly is the same feeling that an artist would get when they look at a completed painting. And the satisfaction is manifold – because it isn’t just derived from the success of completion. But now, it goes way beyond that – what started off as a hobby to satisfy my creative urges on technology is now proving to be a great way to contribute to sustainability as well. By reuse of components, self-built devices help significantly reduce e-waste contribution to landfills. Done right, the DIY gadget can also be made inherently easier to upgrade, enhancing its shelf life. 

The other aspect is choice of products. A short while ago, I’d written about how some makes of fountain pens and watches are made timeless, because they’re engineered to last. The time and craftsmanship that is put into each of them resists the logic of disposability. We can look at that as an act of sustainability that’s driven by passion, and to a certain extent, an emotional connection as well. The longer the life of a gadget, the lesser its disposability.

Another idea is what I call ‘social recycling’. In this age of fast fashion and constantly upgraded tech, the question of devices going obsolete is rampant. But what one individual finds outdated may work very well, functionally, for another. Examples of this include mobile phones being recirculated within families or friends at a time when one person chooses to make an upgrade. It’s the same logic as clothes being handed down from one member to the other. We are indeed at a time where the label of being “pre-loved” is as relevant to clothing as it is to technology!

But that needn’t always be looked down upon. It all ties up as being more environment-friendly options. The whole concept of the Cloud is the prime choice for sustainability. No longer do we have installation CDs for every software purchased. If you remember what a study desk looked like with a computer back in the 80s, you can clearly see the difference between then and now. From a bulky CPU and multiple components and CDs, DVDs stacked around the chunky computer, to a sleek laptop empowered with cloud storage, we’ve come a long way in terms of cutting down electronic waste.

Initiatives such as AI will eventually contribute to the sustainability initiative too. While it is currently, given its nascency, a resource-intensive technology, I have no doubt that innovations will rapidly lead to sustainable AI and that organizations globally will work towards reducing the carbon footprint of AI.

In short, sustainability doesn’t start or end with just one device. One can continue the cycle by donating and recycling parts and devices to lengthen their lifespan before they contribute to the landfills. And that’s what makes sustainability a choice – one that can be made repeatedly. Like Paul Polman says, “Looking at the world through a sustainability lens not only helps us ‘future-proof’ our supply chain, it also fuels innovation and brand growth.”