外刊精读 | 延长手机使用寿命，减少对环境的威胁|adj|she|例句|外刊|手机|翻译|英语

今天是小芳老师陪你精读外刊的第88天

难度指数6级（共8级）

前期回顾：

原文

In 2019, the average person produced 7.3kg of electronic waste including used and discarded electronic devices. This adds up to 53.6mn tonnes worldwide, an alarming quantity that will only continue to grow as global consumption increases. The environmental cost is clear: e-waste is not disposed of properly, polluting the environment with clear ecological and human costs, and contributes a large share of the global greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change. The problem will not be mitigated without a globally co-ordinated effort.

Much of the world’s electronic waste will not be recycled, reused or even disposed of in a safe and controlled manner. Only around 17.4 percent was officially recorded as recycled in 2019 — very low relative to other types of waste such as plastics and paper. This has serious consequences for people and the environment. For progress to be made, there has to be serious investment in improving our recycling facilities. But a flawed recycling system is not the only failure. An estimated 60 to 90 percent of e-waste was illegally traded or simply dumped outside official waste disposal systems as recently as 2015. This imposes a substantial ecological footprint, because the waste pollutes ecosystems with microplastics and poisonous chemicals such as mercury and arsenic.

The root cause lies in consumer habits. Across the developed world, people consume electronics at an avoidably high rate. The average American smartphone lasts only 24.7 months before being thrown out, and 26.2 months in the EU. The pattern is not limited to smartphones. Increasingly, many electronic devices only last a few years before being replaced, so more and more waste is being produced. By 2050, the world is expected to produce over 125mn tonnes, more than double the current total. If we simply used our electronics for longer, such a large increase would easily be avoided.

Manufacturers need to make their products last longer. Instead of engineering shortened lifespans and releasing new products so rapidly, tech groups must improve the quality and longevity of their devices without denting their commercial success. Governments can help by subsidising producers with longer device lifespans, and by improving access to spare parts with expanded legislation like the right-to-repair. If consumers are armed with the ability to choose devices that last longer and repair those which are broken, their purchasing habits will push the world towards a more sustainable future. But for now, e-waste remain a significant obstacle to reconciling innovation and sustainability. Manufacturers need to make their products last longer.

第一段

In 2019, the average person produced 7.3kg of electronic waste including used anddiscarded electronic devices. This adds up to 53.6mn tonnes worldwide, an alarming quantity that will only continue to grow as global consumption increases. The environmental cost is clear: e-waste is notdisposed of properly, polluting the environment with clear ecological and human costs, and contributes a large share of the global greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change. The problem will not bemitigated without a globally co-ordinated effort.

单词

1. discard：丢弃，抛弃

记忆方法：dis去掉+card纸片→把[废纸]扔掉→抛弃

dis- 否定前缀，card （牌）→连在一起就是不要这张牌了，就打出去吧→丢弃，抛弃。

E.g. We will be able to discard those that seem totally irrelevant to our lives. 我们就能够抛弃那些与我们生活毫不相干的东西。

2. dispose: 处理，处置; 安排

记忆方法：dis-, 分开，散开。-pos, 放置，词源同pose, compose. 即有序布置，安排，引申词义处理。

e.g. The imposing man posed as a man of good disposition and disposed of the rubbish.给人印象深刻的人冒充一个好安排的人并且处理垃圾.

disposegive, sell, or transfer to another

If you dispose of something, you get rid of it. Don't want that sweatshirt with the clown's face on it? Give it away, throw it out, even sell it — these are all ways to dispose of that awful shirt.

3. mitigate

Meaning：vt, To mitigate something means to make it less unpleasant, serious, or painful. 减轻，缓解，缓和

外刊例句

e.g. They can help to mitigate and potentially reverse climate change, curb unemployment and provide more nutrient-dense crops to the world. (The Guardian) 他们可以帮助减轻甚至扭转气候变化，缓解失业，并为世界提供更多营养丰富的作物。

写作

万能写作句型

The problem will not be mitigated without a globally co-ordinated effort.

本句子中谈到如果全球不采取协调一致的举措，这个问题就无法得到缓解。这个可以用在很多需要国际合作的相关话题中（without a globally co-ordinated effort.），当然，这个without a globally co-ordinated effort的global也可以改，改成nationally co-ordinated effort.

长句

分析一个长句：

主干：The environmental cost is clear

附加结构1：e-waste is not disposed of properly, polluting the environment with clear ecological and human costs

附加结构2：and contributes a large share of the global greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change.

通过这个句子可以看，分析句子先看主干。长难句句子主干的分析，分为三大要素：1、连词，2、动词，3、介词

意思就是，看到一个长难句，我们要做的就是找到连词、谓语动词、介词。通过这三种类型的词语，基本上就可以把长句整理出来。

第二段

Much of the world’s electronic waste will not berecycled, reused or even disposed of in a safe and controlled manner. Only around 17.4 percent was officially recorded as recycled in 2019 — very low relative to other types of waste such as plastics and paper. This has seriousconsequences for people and the environment. For progress to be made, there has to be serious investment in improving our recycling facilities. But a flawed recycling system is not the only failure. An estimated 60 to 90 percent of e-waste was illegally traded or simply dumped outside official wastedisposalsystems as recently as 2015. This imposes a substantial ecological footprint, because the waste pollutes ecosystems with microplastics and poisonous chemicals such as mercury and arsenic.

单词

1. Recycle

Meaning：If you recycle things that have already been used, such as bottles or sheets of paper, you process them so that they can be used again. 回收利用，循环使用

追根溯源：单词recycle里的词根cycl来自希腊语kyklos，表示“圆圈，循环”，所以，在英语里包含cycl的单词，多与此相关：

bicycle /ˈbaɪsɪkl/ n. 自行车

tricycle /ˈtraɪsɪkl// n. 三轮车

cyclist /ˈsaɪklɪst/ n. 骑自行车的人

recyclable /ˌriːˈsaɪkləbl/ adj. 可回收利用的

所以，re（再一次）+cycl（圆圈，循环）+e（构词后缀）=再循环一遍→循环使用，回收利用。

外刊例句：Truth is, it's not that easy to recycle. Metallic or shiny wrapping papers can't be recycled. Neither can bows or ribbons. And tissue paper doesn't have long enough fibers for recycling. One municipal recycler suggests composting tissue paper instead.

事实上，回收这些纸并不容易。金属或有光泽的包装纸不能回收。蝴蝶结和丝带也不能回收。棉纸因为纤维不够长而不能回收。一位市政回收商建议用堆肥纸代替棉纸。——《科学美国人》

2. consequence

Meaning：我们经常把它直接翻译成“后果”、“结果”，以至于很多人总把它和 result 搞混，其实两个词完全不一样。

consequence 指的是“一个事件的后续影响”，而不单单只是一个结果。

外刊例句：As a consequence, some develop iron overload, which causes severe complications. 一些人因此出现铁过剩的情况，从而患上严重的并发症。

3. disposal

Meaning：the act of getting rid of something, especially by throwing it away 清除; 处理; 抛弃

外刊例句：The disposal of an unexploded World War II bomb led to the evacuation of thousands of people in a large area in Berlin. 为拆除一枚二战期间没有引爆的炸弹，柏林疏散了一大片地区的数千名民众。

扩展短语：at sb's disposal

Meaning：available for one to use whenever or however one wishes. 可供某人随时随地使用

e.g. I would take you if I could, but I don't have a car at my disposal this week. 我会尽可能带上你, 但是这周我没汽车可用.

句型

万能写作句型

For progress to be made, there has to be serious investment in improving our recycling facilities.

本句翻译为：为了改善现状，我们必须进行…投资，其中our recycling 部分可以替换。这一句为万能句型，如果能够记住，可以用在很多地方，比如说：为了保护环境，需要加大相关设施的投资。

For progress to be made, there has to be serious investment in improvingour environmental protectingfacilities.

写作

主题句：

Much of the world’s electronic waste will not be recycled, reused or even disposed of in a safe and controlled manner. 世界上大部分电子垃圾都无法以安全可控的方式进行回收、再利用，甚至处理。

通过主题句可以得知，本段将详细阐释大部分电子垃圾无法可控回收。那对于主题句的支撑，则是用了相关的具体数据来说明。

第三段

The root cause lies in consumer habits. Across the developed world, peopleconsumeelectronics atan avoidably high rate. The average American smartphonelasts only 24.7 months before being thrown out, and 26.2 months in the EU. The patternis not limited tosmartphones. Increasingly, many electronic devices only last a few years before being replaced, so more and more waste is being produced. By 2050, the world is expected to produce over 125mn tonnes, more than double the current total. If we simply used our electronics for longer, such a large increase would easily be avoided.

单词

1. consume：消耗，消费, e.g. We've consumed all of the toilet paper that we bought from the supermarket. 我们把从超市买来的厕纸都用完了。

2. Last：持续，持久

持久: Happiness never lasts. 快乐总是很短暂

辨析: at last or finally?

Warning: choose the correct adverb!

To introduce the last point or idea, usually at the beginning of a sentence, don't say 'at last', say finally:

At last, I would like to thank you all for listening.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for listening.

短语

1. an avoidably high rate

这个avoidably是非常出彩，比如说有个表达：avoidably ugly，非常丑，但是不能出来吓人。

2. be limited to 仅限于

外刊例句：It’s only limited to the super-wealthy who can afford the astronomically expensive ticket price.

讲解：

be limited to sb 仅限于某些人使用

the super-wealthy 超级富豪们

afford sth 支付得起…

astronomically expensive 极其昂贵的

写作

主题句：

The root cause lies in consumer habits. 翻译：根本原因在于消费习惯。本段讲述消费习惯对于电子产品消费的影响。电子产品，尤其在发达国家，电子产品的失踪周期太短，就造成了越来越多的电子垃圾。

第四段

However, consumers are not the only ones at fault for the problem of device lifetimes. Tech companies including Apple and Microsoft have been accused of “planned obsolescence,” or deliberately slowing down their older devices to encourage people to buy new ones. There are also blockages to the repair of broken devices. Apple, as well as many of its rivals, has a system of “licensed service provision” which controls the shopsauthorized to carry out repairs. Devices which could be fixed are thrown out, accelerating an already unsustainable rate of electronics consumption.

单词

1. Obsolescence：过时；淘汰，废弃

外刊例句：The obsolescence of this old-fashioned phone is one of its charms. 这部老式电话的过时性是它的魅力之一。

Plan Obsolescence

背景知识

“有计划废止制”（planned obsolescence），是人为通过设计使得产品的功能、款式、质量逐年“老化”，目的是驱使消费者购买新产品。
“有计划废止制”包括功能逐步升级而造成的现有产品功能老化，通过造型设计使得款式过时，与预先限定产品的使用寿命使得质量上逐年老化这三个方面，是消费社会中对设计的典型使用方法。这种方法必须在非垄断型（oligopoly）的经济中才能成效。

智能手机，由于电池寿命耗尽或软件更新，每一两年就要更换。“这就是计划报废的阴谋论。”西北大学（Northwestern University）市场学教授莫汉比尔·绍尼（Mohanbir Sawhney）这样说道。

那么这个阴谋论是真是假？计划报废又是否真的存在呢？
答案是：这是真的。计划报废确实存在。

但有一点必须说明，除了贪婪的企业肆意欺诈顾客以外，计划报废也有其存在意义。
某种程度上，计划报废是企业不断为消费者提供所需产品的必然结果。这样看来，计划报废相当于是欲望的反映。这种欲望就是企业创造出的消费文化。

耶鲁大学（Yale University）金融经济学教授朱迪恩·恩瓦利埃（Judith Chevalier）说：“根本上，企业会反映出消费者的喜好。我想这就是某些企业成功欺诈顾客原因所在。而这些情况的出现我想应该归因于顾客自身。”

20世纪20年代，鲜为人知的“太阳神计划”（Phoebus cartel）应运而生。参与这项计划的企业都是世界顶尖的电灯泡制造商，例如德国欧司朗（Germany’s Osram），英国电气工业（the United Kingdom’s Associated Electrical Industries），美国通用电子（General Electric）。
这些企业合谋起来，人为地把电灯泡的使用寿命降低到1000小时。这一诡计的细节后来在政府和媒体的调查中有所曝光。

“由于相关文件被发现，因此这次企业联合（卡特尔）（cartel）成为了计划报废最明显的例子。”吉尔斯·施耐德（Giles Slade），《作出突破：美国的技术和过时，策略的历史及其后果》（Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America, a history of the strategy and its consequences.）的作者，这样说道。

类似的做法一时在各行各业中涌现。例如，在20世纪20年代，通用和福特在汽车行业的竞争就使得通用汽车引进了现在人们所熟知的技术，运用到自家的汽车中。通用汽车在这方面一直处于领先地位。它不断地诱使顾客购买最新型汽车，以满足客人的需要，在社交圈里大放光彩。“这一模式可以运用到所有行业。”施耐德说。

尽管在1950年前，“计划报废”都还没有正式得到广泛使用，但这一策略已经渗透入崇尚消费主义的社会中。时至今日，“计划报废”仍旧以各种形式，可见或不可见地存在着。
无论是所谓的伪造耐用性：脆弱的部件很容易就会损坏，而维修的花费却比重新购置要高，还是提高美观度，让旧型号变得不再时尚，优秀的制造商总是有办法让消费者掏出口袋里的钱。

智能手机就是在现代社会中最好的例子。耳机在使用几年后就会被丢弃。屏幕或者按键损坏，电池耗尽，又或者是操作系统、应用程序等等突然不能更新。
解决方法就近在咫尺：为新的型号创立新品牌，每年推出市场，并称之为“史上最好”。

2. authorize：批准，许可；授权

记忆方法：authorise=author+rise=authorize

作者(author）起来（rise）授权批准（authorise)，然后（s）变（z）同个意

例句：The emperor authorized this document with a stamp. 皇帝加印批准了这个文件。

句型

Devices which could be fixed are thrown out, accelerating already unsustainable rate of electronics consumption.

主语：Devices，which 引导定语从句

主句：Devices which could be fixed are thrown out

谓语动词：are thrown out

补语：accelerating already unsustainable rate of electronics consumption.

写作

注意本文的首句是本段的主题句。这个主题句采用了“承上启下”的方式，非常巧妙地提出自己的主题。承上是指对于上文个人用户对于电子产品浪费的 “贡献”，这里有延伸一步，提到Tech companies 科技公司的“贡献”。这种写法是非常好地过渡方法。

过渡是使文章连贯、结构严谨的一种手段。一篇文章一定会有许多层次，而层次之间如果没有过渡性的字、词、句、段，就不能衔接贯通，浑然一体。正确使用过渡来串联思想，可以使文章结构舒展，内容流畅，也能正确表达作者的思想，使文章中的句子逻辑关系更加清楚，这样读者能自然地跟踪作者的思路，理解作者的意图。

这种过渡大致分为三种情况。第一种是承上过渡，即在记叙或议论之后，用几句话对所记事物或议论的问题，作一个归纳性的小结。这是一种由分到合的写法。第二种是启下过渡，即在记叙或议论过后，不再作承上归纳小结，而直接用几句话启引下文。这是一种由合到分的写作。第三种是既承上又启下，即在记叙或议论之后，用一句话，既对上文作归纳，又对下文做启引。这种过渡常用于段末句或段首句。

下面这个段落的最后一句话起了总结上文的作用，是一种承上过渡。

Perhaps my bike is representative of a world gone by: the world before gimmicks and gadgets, accessories and attachments. A time when people thought in terms of setting into a cushioned seat, stopping the movement with their heel and traveling a bit slower than we are traveling now. My bike is certainly not built for speed,but who needs speed when I can coast along the streets, hold my head high and deliciously feel the wind on my face? My bike is built for taking time. It makes people feel relaxed.

下面这个段落第一句话的作用是启引下文，是一种启下过渡。

Zoos are maintained for the education and enjoyment of visitors and for scientific word with animals. Many of the animals are from parts of the world where the visitors are not likely to travel. Zoos exhibit such well-known animals as lions, bears, and monkeys; many also include interesting local animals. In modern zoos, animals are kept in habitats that are as nearly natural as possible. Zoos serve an important function as sanctuaries for rare, wild animals.

下面这段文字的最后一句话起的是承上启下的作用。它既总结了前面一段所述的“我的破自行车在一些人中引起了共鸣”，又为下一段陈述引起共鸣的原因埋下了伏笔。

But really, what is it that people are admiring？Are they admiring me for resisting the lure of mass bicycle consumerism? I must look like an eyesore pedaling behind my family,who all ride the latest model of mountain bike. On the other hand, maybe people are just genuinely curious, as they would be if confronted with a dinosaur bone. I never get the feeling that they think I'm crazy for riding something so old when I could be fussing with gears and having a presumably easier timer of things. My bike seems to touch a sensitive chord in people, and I'm not quite sure what or why that is.

翻译：然而，消费者并不是唯一对设备寿命问题负有责任的人。包括苹果和微软在内的科技公司被指控“计划报废”，或者说故意放慢旧设备的运行速度，以鼓励人们购买新设备。维修坏掉的设备也存在阻碍。苹果以及它的许多竞争对手都有一套“授权服务提供”制度，该制度控制着有权对产品进行维修的门店。原本可以修理的设备被丢弃，加速了本就不可持续的电子产品消费速度。制造商需要让他们的产品更耐用。

第五段

Manufacturers need to make their products last longer. Instead of engineering shortened lifespans and releasing new products so rapidly, tech groups must improve the quality andlongevityof their devices withoutdenting their commercial success. Governments can help by subsidising producers with longer device lifespans, and by improving access to spare parts with expanded legislation like the right-to-repair. If consumers are armed with the ability to choose devices that last longer and repair those which are broken, their purchasing habits will push the world towards a more sustainable future. But for now, e-waste remain a significant obstacle toreconciling innovation and sustainability. Manufacturers need to make their products last longer.

单词

1. Longevity：

基本释义：Longevity is long life, or the fact of lasting a long time. 长寿；寿命；持久

外刊例句：

Athena, America’s largest boutique lender, requires art worth about $2m to secure its minimum loan of $1m. At Bank of America and other private banks, the minimum loan is closer to $5m. Both accept only works by well-known artists as collateral, since they are the only ones with reliable longevity. Thus art-secured loans are less risky than many believe, says Arturo Cifuentes of Columbia Business School.

美国最大的专门贷款机构Athena，要求用价值200万美元左右的艺术品来担保最低100万美元的贷款。在美国银行和其他私人银行，最低贷款额接近500万美元。所有这些机构都只接受知名艺术家的作品作为抵押物，因为只有这些作品才具有长期稳定的价值。哥伦比亚大学商学院的阿图罗·西丰特斯说，艺术品抵押贷款的风险比许多人认为的要低。——《经济学人》

追根溯源

单词longevity里面的ev部分，来自拉丁语aevum, 意思是“时间；年龄”。所以，在英语里包含ev的单词，多与此相关：

primeval adj. 原始的；初期的

medieval adj. 中世纪的；原始的

coeval adj. 同时代的

同近义词

seniority: The fact of being older or of a higher rank than others.（年长）

lifespan: The lifespan of a person, animal, or plant is the period of time for which they live or are normally expected to live.（寿命）

2. dent

基本释义: 使产生凹痕；损害，削弱

外刊例句：One advantage is that composite-based planes use significantly less fuel. But there’s an important disadvantage. When aluminum is hit, you can see a dent. Composites, though, spring back to the original shape, which could hide internal damage.

使用复合材料制造的飞机的一个优点是能够大大节省燃油消耗。但它也有一个重要缺点。当铝受到撞击时会出现明显凹痕，而复合材料则会自动回复原来形状，使它所受的损伤难以察觉。——《科学美国人》

追根溯源

单词dent最开始来自于古英语dynt，指“凹陷，凹痕”，也可做动词，表示“使（外表）产生凹痕”。后来有引申含义，表示“伤害、挫伤（信心、名誉等）”，或者“减退，削弱”。

“凹痕”有点像牙齿的参差不齐，所以dent作为词根，也表示“牙齿”。一些包含dent的英语单词，多与此相关，例如：

dental /ˈdentəl/ adj. 牙科的，牙齿的

dentist /ˈdentɪst/ n. 牙科医生

denture /ˈdentʃər/ n. 假牙

影视例句

在美剧《摩登家庭》S02E24，路人以为Phil和Gloria是夫妻，Phil对这样的误会似乎还有点小心机：

I didn't think anything of it...until other people started making the same mistake. It reminded me of a college job I had parking cars. One day, I had to park an Aston Martin. I'll never forget the looks I got driving that baby down the block. I wasn't gonna dent this one.

我没有多想什么，直到别人也都开始犯同样的错误。让我想起了大学做泊车小弟的那会，有一天，我去泊一辆阿斯顿·马丁时，我永远也忘不了我开着那台好车时，别人投过来的羡慕眼光。这一次，我也一样要顺水推舟。

3. reconcile: 恢复友好关系

深入解读

Reconcile 一词源自拉丁语 reconcilare （使在一起、重新获得、争取过来、安抚和解），14世纪中期进入英语后便开始用来形容人“使和解、使和好如初”，也就是在疏远、争论或分歧之后恢复团结和友谊，常用被动语态并搭配 reconcile sb with sb ，

比如：他最近已经和妻子和好了。昨天他毫不犹豫地狂吻了他的妻子。

He has recently been reconciled with his wife. Yesterday he lavished his wife with kisses without demur.

双方的和解往往意味着两人或其中一人作出妥协，等到了14世纪末， reconcile 就被用来表示“将就、妥协”或“使甘心、使顺从、使安心”，常用搭配 reconcile oneself to sth ，同 resign oneself to sth ，多指因无法改变而在自己不喜欢的情况下接受某个不快的局面或事实，暗含顺从和屈服之意，

比如：她必须接受这样一个事实：要想通过考试，就必须下点工夫死记硬背。

She must reconcile herself to the fact that she must do some rote learning if she wants to pass her exams.

而到了16世纪50年代后， reconcile 又进一步从和解不相容的人发展到和解不相容的事物，也就是“调和、调解、协调、使和谐一致”，多指寻找一种可接受的方式来处理两个或两个以上似乎相互对立的想法、需求、信仰、情况等，使之一致并能够共存，常用搭配 reconcile sth with sth，

比如：这个强硬的女权主义者发现她很难兼顾事业上的抱负和孩子们的需要。

The strident feminist found that it was hard to reconcile her career ambitions with the needs of her children.

此外，用在宗教领域时 reconcile 还可以指“使被革出教会者或悔罪者复归教会”或经特定仪式“使遭亵渎的教堂等恢复洁净”。

名著用例

E.g. I cannot be so easily reconciled to myself. 我心里实在过意不去。

出自19世纪英国小说家简·奥斯丁（Jane Austen）的代表作《傲慢与偏见》（Pride and Prejudice）。

E.g. Time and again, the mothers strive to remind their daughters of their history and heritage. Meanwhile, their daughters struggle to reconcile their mothers' perception of them with who they really are. 母亲们再三提醒她们的女儿要追宗念祖，不能忘本，与此同时，作为现代美国女性，当女儿的，确实很难接受母亲的那一套。

《喜福会》- 美籍华人女性的故事

句型

长句分析

Instead of engineering shortened lifespans and releasing new products so rapidly, tech groups must improve the quality and longevity of their devices without denting their commercial success.

句子成分

介词短语：instead of…

主语：tech groups

谓语：must improve

宾语：the quality and longevity of their devices

补语：without denting their commercial success

写作

主题句：Manufacturers need to make their products last longer.

本段落主题讲的是制造商需要让他们的产品更耐用，作者也顺势提出如何将产品做的更耐用，包括科技集团应该采取的方法（改变商业成功的方式）、政府也应该采用相应的方法（补贴）。

双语文章

上下滑动阅读双语全文

2019年，平均每个人产生了7.3公斤电子垃圾，包括用过和废弃的电子设备。全球总共产生了5360万吨电子垃圾，这一数量令人担忧，而随着全球电子产品消费的增加，这个数量只会继续增长。环境成本是显而易见的：电子垃圾没有得到妥善处理，污染了环境，造成了明显的生态和人力成本，并在全球温室气体排放中占很大比例，而温室气体则是导致气候变化的元凶。如果全球不采取协调一致的举措，这个问题就无法得到缓解。

世界上大部分电子垃圾都无法以安全可控的方式进行回收、再利用，甚至处理。据官方记录，2019年只有约17.4%的电子垃圾得以回收，相对于塑料和纸张等其他类型的垃圾，这一比例非常低。这对人类和环境造成了严重后果。为了改善现状，我们必须重视投资，改善我们的回收设施。但失败不仅在于回收系统有缺陷。据估计，就在2015年，60%至90%的电子垃圾被非法交易或没有得到官方垃圾处理系统的处理。这造成了巨大的生态足迹，因为电子垃圾中的微塑料和汞、砷等有毒化学物质会污染生态系统。

根本原因在于消费习惯。在发达国家，人们的电子产品消费率极高，而这本是可以避免的。在美国，智能手机的平均使用寿命只有24.7个月，在欧盟则是26.2个月。这种模式并不局限于智能手机。越来越多的电子设备只能使用几年就要被更换，因此产生了越来越多的电子垃圾。到2050年，全球预计将生产超过1.25亿吨电。

However, consumers are not the only ones at fault for the problem of device lifetimes. Tech companies including Apple and Microsoft have been accused of “planned obsolescence,” or deliberately slowing down their older devices to encourage people to buy new ones. There are also blockages to the repair of broken devices. Apple, as well as many of its rivals, has a system of “licensed service provision” which controls the shops authorised to carry out repairs. Devices which could be fixed are thrown out, accelerating an already unsustainable rate of electronics consumption.

然而，消费者并不是唯一对设备寿命问题负有责任的人。包括苹果和微软在内的科技公司被指控“计划报废”，或者说故意放慢旧设备的运行速度，以鼓励人们购买新设备。维修坏掉的设备也存在阻碍。苹果以及它的许多竞争对手都有一套“授权服务提供”制度，该制度控制着有权对产品进行维修的门店。原本可以修理的设备被丢弃，加速了本就不可持续的电子产品消费速度。

制造商需要让他们的产品更耐用。科技集团必须在不影响其商业成功的情况下，改善设备的质量和使用寿命，而不是想方设法缩短使用寿命，并如此迅速地发布新产品。政府可以通过补贴生产使用寿命较长的设备的厂商来提供帮助，还可以扩大诸如维修权等立法来改善零配件的获取。如果消费者能够选择更耐用的设备，并修复损坏的设备，他们的购买习惯就将推动世界走向一个更可持续的未来。但就目前而言，电子垃圾仍然是协调创新和可持续性的一大障碍。

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