What does the use of high-quality screen protection have to do with environmental awareness?

Every investment in new IT equipment is carefully considered. Sometimes several hundred or even thousand euros are spent on the new mobile phone, tablet or notebook. Each electronic device carries its own environmental footprint. In case of a display damage, it becomes quite expensive, both for the wallet and for the environment.

What is a mobile phone made of - sustainability OK?

In addition to the metals cobalt, lithium, gold, copper, and aluminum, modern electronic devices contain various types of rare earths and plastics, such as polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), rubber, acrylic adhesive, and many others. The display of very cheap smartphones and tablets is made of inexpensive plastic. High-quality devices, on the other hand, use glass displays of varying quality.

The glass of the display contains, for example, aluminum (Al), yttrium (Y), indium (In), gallium (Ga), and dysprosium (Dy).

A display damage is expensive - also for the environment.

Unfortunately, the display of many electronic devices is still the weak point. If the display or touchscreen tears or breaks, it results in an expensive repair.

If the device can even be repaired. If the device manufacturer takes sustainability and environmental awareness seriously, there is a good chance of having a broken or shattered display replaced. However, the display replacement is associated with the consumption of new resources (the new display including electronics) as well as high costs. A study by the Consumer Association Federal Association. (vzbv) from the summer of 2022 concludes that display repairs are extremely expensive and can reach or even exceed the original price of the device.

According to the survey conducted by the vzbv, up to 107% of the original price of the smartphone must be paid for the display replacement. For a purchase price of 349 EUR, this would amount to 369 EUR for the display repair. Many users then tend to forgo the display repair after a display break and accept a shattered phone display. Sharp and pointed edges of the shattered display pose a significant risk of injury.

Electronic waste due to broken display

In addition, a lot of electronic waste is generated, which does not fit into the image of sustainable and environmentally conscious behavior. What happens to the electronic waste? After all, modern smartphones contain a variety of different materials, usually in a bound form. Defective mobile phones, as well as mobile data collection devices (MDE), tablets, and defective notebooks, are typically shredded and melted down.

Downstream chemical separation processes that separate the aforementioned metals, rare earths, and various plastics from each other are very energy-intensive and expensive. Significant amounts of hazardous waste sludges are generated in the process, which cannot be further processed.

The German Federal Environment Agency concludes in a comprehensive study – Influence of the service life of products on their environmental impact: Creating an information basis and developing strategies against obsolescence – from the year 2016, that

"Products of the highly technologized service society of the 21st century cause significant environmental impacts due to two factors: Firstly, the number of products itself is constantly increasing, and secondly, relatively short usage periods can be observed."

and it continues to say

Regarding the long lifespan of electrical and electronic devices, the most intensive use of the raw materials used in the device and the environmental impacts associated with their extraction should be considered as an important aspect.

Reduction of the risk of display damage

To reduce the risk of display damage, a high-quality display protector is excellent. In addition to the fact that expensive display repairs can often be avoided by using a professional display protector, the value of the electronic device is preserved. It has been proven that tablets, mobile phones, as well as industrial panels and touchscreens have a significantly higher resale value when the display or touchscreen has no scratches or damages. As can be seen in the above example of the defective MDE device display, no display protective film or glass film was used. The touchscreen is completely scratched and damaged - the device, which is certainly worth several hundred or even 1000 EUR, is a total loss. By using a high-quality Neoxum display film or an OnScreen hybrid glass, a highly robust composite material made of PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) and a 50 µm thick 9H hard glass coating, the lifespan of a device can be significantly extended. The durability of a touchscreen or display is crucially optimized: scratches are effectively prevented and defective areas on the touchscreen - caused by constant use of the same function on the touch display - can be avoided. Wear and tear cannot cause damage to the display, saving costs and time. Time, because repairing display damage can sometimes take days or weeks.

Conclusion screen protection

The more than 20 years of experience in the field of display protection clearly shows that protecting the display or touchscreen is crucial for the durability of the device. Simply by using Neoxum protective films and OnScreen glass films, the lifespan of electronic devices, supported by feedback from our customers in mechanical engineering, medical technology, industry, logistics, and media, is extended by a factor of 2-3.

Erhöht sich der Lebenszyklus des elektronischen Gerätes, ist das gut für die Umwelt. Denn Geräte, die nicht ständig ersetzt werden müssen, schonen unsere endlichen und wertvollen Ressourcen.

High-quality screen protection - Made in Germany - a small piece of sustainability - increases lifespan - saves high costs and reduces electronic waste.