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Why does nobody talk about the e-waste from going all-digital as a freelancer? | Freelance Survival - Guest Forum

Why does nobody talk about the e-waste from going all-digital as a freelancer?

I see a lot of freelancers say that using only apps and laptops is the green way to work, but I disagree. Digital gear needs constant power, rare materials to make, and ends up as toxic trash when it breaks. For my freelance projects, I use a simple paper notebook from recycled stuff, and it has outlasted three phones already. When tech fails or updates mess things up, my notes are still there, no battery needed. I buy from a small shop that plants trees for every notebook sold, so it feels good. Sure, digital seems clean, but think about all the servers and manufacturing behind it. As a freelancer, keeping costs low and being reliable matters, and my low-tech setup does both while helping the planet.

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_price6mo ago

But doesn't paper production use a ton of water and lead to cutting down trees? @park.tara's friend's broken tablet is a bummer, but I've kept my same laptop running since 2015 by just being careful with it. Cloud backups save my work even if hardware dies, so I'm not really creating more waste than with stacks of paper notebooks.

the_hannah5mo ago

Totally get where your friend is coming from. Seeing a broken device just become trash feels awful, like all that material and effort was wasted. It makes you question the whole cycle of buying and replacing stuff. I've had that same guilty feeling tossing out old electronics that couldn't be fixed. Her switch to paper makes a lot of sense if it stops that cycle for her.

park.tara6mo ago

My friend's tablet broke after a year, adding to the pile of e-waste she hates. She switched to paper for sketches and found it lasted longer without updates or charging. That broken gadget made her think about all the trash we create without realizing.