We live in an era where the digital world is omnipresent, yet we rarely stop to think about its true environmental cost. Digital pollution is a phenomenon that demands our attention, and it demands it now. But what exactly do we mean by this term, and why is it so important to discuss it?
What is digital pollution?
The term “digital pollution” refers to the environmental impact caused by digital technologies and the infrastructures that support them. This includes a wide range of activities: from the emissions produced by the data centers that house our data to the energy consumption of the electronic devices we use every day, such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and smart TVs.
Digital pollution: An overview
When we talk about digital pollution, we are referring to the total emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases produced by the use of the internet, electronic devices, and information technology. Every email sent, every video streamed, and every request made to a search engine (or often to an AI chatbot, which consumes even more) contributes to this type of pollution.
Although digital pollution is not visible to the naked eye like the smog in our cities, its effects are just as real and concerning. The production and disposal of electronic devices, for example, involve high resource consumption and the generation of electronic waste (e-waste).
Causes of digital pollution
The causes of digital pollution are manifold and often interconnected. Here are some of the main polluting sources that we, more or less consciously, fuel during our daily digital lives.
Data centers and servers
Data centers are massive facilities that house thousands of servers needed to store and process digital data. These centers require a significant amount of energy to operate and cool the equipment, making a major contribution to global CO2 emissions.
The issue primarily concerns the sheer volume of information stored in these data centers. More stored information leads to higher consumption, generating a massive demand for electricity and, consequently, releasing a large amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
In 2023, data centers around the world consumed 3% of the global electricity demand and produced 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions. However, the most concerning figure is that future forecasts are constantly being revised upwards; by 2030, electricity consumption is expected to rise by another percentage point, reaching 4% of global demand (Source: Data Centre Magazine).
Emissions from internet traffic, social media, and video streaming
Massive internet usage generates a surprising amount of emissions. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, watching one hour of streaming video on Netflix results in 36g of CO2 emissions. Considering that, according to Statista, U.S. citizens spent exactly 61.3 minutes per day on Netflix in 2022, the calculation of total emissions (when multiplied by the platform’s total U.S. user base of approximately 70 million) starts to become frightening.
The same logic applies to social media: the same study highlighted that in 2022, U.S. citizens spent 52 minutes per day on TikTok, with forecasts increasing to 58.4 minutes for 2024. It should also be noted that this data only accounts for users over the age of 18; if the 14-17 age group were included, these figures would likely be significantly higher.
The life cycle of electronic devices
From production to disposal, electronic devices go through various stages involving high resource consumption and waste generation. Every phase of a device’s life cycle production, distribution, usage, and disposal contributes to the increase in digital pollution.
Given that in 2023, the number of active smartphones worldwide reached 6.8 billion (85% of the population) and that the average life cycle of a smartphone ranges from 3 to 5 years, this number is set to keep growing.
The impact of digital pollution on health and the environment
Digital pollution fuels climate change, which in turn has negative effects on human health and ecosystems. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and air pollution are just some of the side effects of climate change driven, among other causes, by digital pollution itself.
CO2 equivalent and how it is calculated
To better understand the impact of digital pollution, it is essential to define what CO2 equivalent means and how it is measured.
What is CO2 equivalent?
CO2 equivalent is a unit of measurement used to compare the impact of different greenhouse gases based on their Global Warming Potential (GWP). This metric allows us to quantify and compare the emissions of various gases in terms of the climate impact equivalent to that of carbon dioxide.
Methods for calculating CO2 equivalent
Calculating CO2 can be complex, as it requires analyzing multiple emission sources. For example, to calculate the impact of an electronic device, one must consider emissions generated during production, usage, and disposal.
Several online portals allow you to calculate your Co2 equivalent with varying degrees of accuracy, but the best choice is often to rely on a specialized partner. However, in our daily lives, there are several habits we can develop independently to lower our impact. Let’s look at a few.
Strategies to reduce digital pollution
Here are some useful tips to reduce our digital footprint and contribute to a healthier environment, both at work and in our free time.
Reduce and optimize your emails
Instead of sending unnecessary emails, try to include all additional information, questions, or requests in a single message. When sending attachments, stick to small files and use compression tools or cloud links when necessary.
Take a moment to review your inbox for newsletters you no longer read or need. Once identified, unsubscribe. This significantly reduces the volume of unnecessary data traveling through servers.
Uninstall unused applications
If there are apps you never use, delete them. Keeping only the apps you actually need saves device resources and reduces energy consumption.
Disable auto-save for photos and videos
Turn off the auto-save feature in messaging apps like WhatsApp. This keeps your device lighter and saves storage space.
Similarly, try to delete old emails, obsolete files, and unnecessary documents. A regular digital cleanup goes a long way in reducing environmental impact.
Prefer text over voice messages
Sending text messages instead of voice notes reduces data usage. Voice messages are “heavier” files and require more resources to be transmitted and stored.
Turn off your camera during video calls
Choosing audio over video during conferences can significantly reduce your footprint. According to a study by Greenspector, one minute of an audio-only conference consumes 53% less energy than a video call with the camera turned on.
Choose sustainable partners
At a corporate level, choosing the right suppliers can have a decisive impact on your carbon footprint. When planning communication activities, whether digital or physical, the role of creative agencies must be examined. While visibility and ROI are vital, we must also ask: what is the environmental cost?
Based on this reflection, Propaganda3 has developed an approach that makes resource protection and transparency its hallmarks. We are committed to finding the “greenest” way to develop every project. Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, we measure and share the environmental impact of every event, product, or service we create. Visit our dedicated section to learn more about our ecodesign approach.
The future of digital pollution
The future of digital pollution is shaped by several conflicting trends and forecasts. On one hand, the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence and other advanced technologies could drive up energy consumption. On the other hand, these very same technologies could offer innovative solutions to reduce environmental impact by optimizing energy efficiency and improving resource management.
At the same time, awareness of the digital world’s environmental footprint is growing, accompanied by the introduction of increasingly stringent regulations.
In this context, governments play a crucial role. Through incentives, regulations, and awareness campaigns, they can promote digital sustainability on a large scale. Government policies aimed at reducing the tech sector’s environmental impact can stimulate the adoption of sustainable practices at both the corporate and individual levels, helping to slow climate change and build a more sustainable future.
