Our product creation is guided by life cycle thinking. It helps us continuously improve the environmental aspects of our products and processes in each phase of the product life cycle, from raw material acquisition till the end of life of the product.
Over the years, we have been able to reduce the environmental impact of our products significantly. The greenhouse gas footprint of our phones has been reduced by up to 50% between 2000 and 2010, while introducing new features and capabilities that allow our devices to be used in various new ways.
Today, many manufacturers report the environmental footprint of their products. At Nokia we use life cycle assessment (LCA) for calculating the environmental impact of our products and processes. Our calculations include the entire mobile device life cycle, from raw material acquisition to the end of the product life. Our life cycle assessment method has been externally audited. By identifying the largest sources of emissions and energy use over the lifecycle, we have already been able to take action in minimizing the environmental impact of our mobile devices.
The total energy consumption for creating, using and recycling a typical Nokia mobile device is 210MJ and the total emissions are 12kg C02e. This equates to driving 71km in a typical family car.
Since June 2010, we have provided an estimated environmental impact for all our new products. This information is available via each product's Eco profile.
The environmental impact of a device varies according to its weight and the functionalities it offers. The mobile phones with just basic functionalities have typically smaller environmental impact than the devices with a wide range of features. However, more capable devices (with, for example, an excellent camera, music player, navigation, web browser and other features) provide you with the opportunity to reduce your personal environmental footprint. Instead of buying, using and charging multiple devices for different purposes, you can have all these functionalities in one Nokia device. Making sustainable choices in your daily life will further reduce your personal footprint: with your Nokia mobile device, it's easy to be green!
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How do we calculate this?
The results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) always depend on the calculation method, scope, and assumptions used.