TED-Ed: What's a smartphone made of? - Kim Preshoff

Smartphones contain numerous elements, including gold, silver, and copper, as well as rare earth elements crucial for modern technology. However, extracting these elements has significant environmental and social impacts, such as habitat destruction and poor working conditions. As smartphone usage increases, reclaiming materials from old phones becomes essential. Recycling can help, but it also poses challenges, including unsafe labor practices. Until sustainable smartphones are developed, understanding and mitigating these impacts is crucial.

Discuss the social problems linked to mining and recycling of smartphone materials.

What challenges do we face regarding the sustainability of smartphone production?