In a previous blog post, “The State of E-scrap Recycling,” we talked about the fact that on average, Americans get a new cell phone every 22 months. Globally, the average smartphone user upgrades every 18 months. Of those cell phones, despite many programs and drop-off locations, many do not get recycled properly. In 2010 alone, over 150 million cell phones were sent to landfills. For every 1 million cell phones sent to landfills, 35,274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium were discarded. These precious metals are valuable! We are throwing away millions every year because people do not recycle their electronic devices.

While encouraging recycling is one route to a more sustainable world, another is starting with the product design itself. When a product is manufactured with sustainability in mind it takes some of the responsibility from the consumer and places it with the manufacturer, resulting in potentially, less waste.

When it comes to devices, people love having the new best thing, but what if you already had a great device and you just needed to swap out a detachable piece to upgrade? It would mean less overall production, less waste and cheaper prices for all. We previously wrote about Phonebloks, an independent organization with the purpose of encouraging the development and production of products that produce less electronic waste which proposes that cell phones be made up of upgradable detachable blocks. The prototype is still in the works.

The latest attempt at a sustainable phone like the Phonebloks project is called the Puzzlephone. This modular Android device allowins you to replace essential elements like the battery, the screen and the operating system making Puzzlephone able to last an estimated 10 years! This cuts down a lot on the production of new devices, and thus, cuts down on harmful emissions.

According to Fastco.Exist, a typical smartphone has a carbon footprint of 50 kilograms during production–manufacturers are emitting around 90 million tons of CO2 just to make new phones each year!

While getting a shiny, new toy will always have its pull, the designers of the Puzzlephone believe that many buy brand new devices because they don’t have the option to upgrade the components. Whether consumers purchase for financial reasons or because they are sustainability minded individuals, the Puzzelphone could be the answer to cutting way down on e-scrap heading to the landfill.

Would you purchase the Puzzlephone? Let us know why or why not in the comments below!