Should we really replace our phones and laptops so often?

We talk a lot about sustainability in transport, food and energy.

But there is another area where many of us create unnecessary waste without thinking much about it:

our electronic devices.

Phones, laptops, tablets, watches and headphones are replaced surprisingly often. Sometimes because they genuinely stop meeting our needs, but sometimes simply because something newer is available.

The problem is that electronics have a significant environmental cost before we even switch them on.

According to the Global E-waste Monitor, the world generated around 62 billion kg of electronic waste in 2022, and only about 22% was formally collected and recycled.

So perhaps the question should not always be:

Which device should I buy next?

Maybe it should first be:

Do I actually need to replace the one I already have?

Keep devices useful for longer

One of the simplest things we can do is extend the life of our existing hardware.

If your laptop is four years old but still does everything you need, there is usually little reason to replace it simply because a newer processor exists.

The same applies to phones.

A better camera, slightly faster chip or a new AI feature can be tempting, but those improvements may not justify replacing a perfectly functional device.

Even using a device for one or two additional years can make a meaningful difference because much of its environmental impact comes from manufacturing.

Upgrade the part that is actually limiting you

Sometimes the whole computer is not outdated.

Maybe it just needs more memory.

Or a larger SSD.

Or a new battery.

A laptop with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD might feel restrictive after a few years, while its processor is still perfectly capable.

If the machine allows it, upgrading to 32GB RAM or replacing the SSD may extend its life considerably.

This is why I increasingly think upgradeability should be treated as a specification, just like processor speed or screen resolution.

When buying a laptop, I now find questions like these equally important:

A device that is easier to repair is much easier to keep.

Buy hardware for what you actually do

It is easy to overbuy technology.

We see:

64GB RAM. RTX graphics. 24 CPU cores. 4TB SSD.

And suddenly our existing laptop feels slow.

But specifications only matter when we use them.

Someone working mostly in a browser, writing documents and joining video calls probably does not need workstation hardware.

Likewise, a developer running VS Code, Node.js, Docker and a few databases may benefit much more from enough RAM and fast storage than from a high-end gaming GPU.

Buying slightly ahead of your current requirements makes sense.

Buying far beyond them “just in case” often does not.

Repairability matters more than we give it credit for

A weak battery should not mean replacing a laptop.

A broken keyboard should not mean throwing away an otherwise functional computer.

Fortunately, repairability is starting to receive more attention.

New EU rules for smartphones and tablets include requirements around battery durability, spare-parts availability and longer software support.

The wider Right to Repair rules are also pushing manufacturers toward making repairs easier and more accessible.

This is a good direction.

But we can also influence the market ourselves by choosing products that are designed to last.

Refurbished devices deserve more attention

Buying new is not always necessary.

A good two- or three-year-old business laptop may offer better build quality and performance than a brand-new low-end machine at the same price.

The same applies to phones.

And when replacing your own device, there is another important point:

do not let the old one spend the next five years in a drawer.

Sell it.

Give it to someone.

Trade it in.

Donate it.

Send it to a refurbisher.

A laptop that is no longer powerful enough for one person may still be perfect for someone else.

Keeping electronics in circulation is much better than prematurely turning them into waste.

Think about longevity before buying

Perhaps one of the most useful changes we can make is to stop evaluating devices only on what they offer today.

Instead, ask:

Will I still be able to use this comfortably five years from now?

That means looking beyond CPU benchmarks.

Software updates matter.

Repairability matters.

Storage upgrades matter.

Battery replacement matters.

For laptops, replaceable RAM and SSDs can make a huge difference.

For phones, long software support and battery replacement can matter more than another 10% of processor performance.

Sometimes paying slightly more for a product that can remain useful for several additional years is the more economical choice as well.

Recycling should be the last step

Eventually every electronic device reaches the end of its useful life.

When that happens, proper recycling matters.

But recycling should come after reuse and repair, not before them.

A simple order is:

Use → repair → upgrade → reuse → recycle

The longer a device remains useful, the more value we get from the materials and energy already used to manufacture it.

A simple question before the next upgrade

None of this means we should stop buying technology.

Sometimes upgrading genuinely makes sense.

Our requirements change. Hardware fails. Software becomes more demanding.

But before replacing a phone, laptop or tablet, it may be useful to ask:

What problem will the new device actually solve?

If the answer is clear, replacing it may make perfect sense.

If the answer is mostly “because there is a newer model”, keeping the existing device a little longer may be the better choice—for both your wallet and the environment.

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