When was the last time you did a digital declutter? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give a second thought to all those emails, photos and digital files stored on your phone, your computer, and in the cloud. This month’s decluttering update looks at the environmental cost of digital clutter and offers tips on how you can reduce your footprint with a digital declutter.

But first, this month’s decluttering progress update.

52-Week Decluttering Challenge

At the beginning of this year, I decided to go back and redo the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge from the beginning. Each month, I share a decluttering update with my progress and any tips and learnings from the month.

If you missed last year’s challenge, here are some links to help you get started.

• 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Free printable
• Week 1 – Easy decluttering checklist
• Looking back on a year of decluttering
• And, if you just want to jump in and declutter a specific area, you can find links to all the weekly tips and posts on the main Decluttering page.

What I decluttered in September

In September, I revisited weeks 36 to 39 of the decluttering challenge. Here are links to last year’s posts if you’re looking for tips and ideas for these areas:

• Apps and software (Week 36)
• Digital files (Week 37)
• Photos (Week 38)
• Miscellaneous clothing items (Week 39)

In total, I decluttered 2,771 items last month. Most of these items were electronic files which really made me realize that, along with other forms of clutter, digital clutter has a definite environmental impact.

The environmental cost of digital clutter

When I created this blog, my purpose was to share tips on green and sustainable living. Over time, the focus expanded to decluttering and living a simpler life. The more I learned, the more I realized that those things are all connected. Consuming less and simplifying life have definite benefits for all of us and for our planet.

It’s no secret that we live in a digital world. Technology has significantly changed our lives—for better or for worse. It’s difficult to imagine a life without email, social media, streaming services, and cloud computing. It’s even more difficult to think that these technologies didn’t exist a generation ago. (For a look back, you might enjoy this Clutter Tale post about needing a book to learn how to use the Internet.)

But all this convenience comes at an environmental cost. And the worst part is, it’s an area that people don’t often consider when they think about their environmental footprint.

Paris-based environmental think tank The Shift Project reports that information and communication technologies account for close to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Even more alarming is the footprint has been increasing by 9% every year.

The 4% includes production of computers, smartphones, TVs and other electronics. It also includes data transmission and storage. Let’s have a closer look at each.

E-waste is a big concern

First, there’s hardware. The constant desire to update devices leads to the extraction of a lot of resources—not to mention the waste it creates.

The UN Environment Programme reports the world generates 50 million tons of e-waste every year, and only 20% of that is recycled. To put that in perspective, a single year’s e-waste weighs more than all commercial airliners ever made. Kind of a scary thought!

Data centres and data transmission

Next, consider the resources needed to transmit and store all that data. Every time you send an email, stream music or a movie, upload a photo, post a tweet or other social media message, or publish a blog post, you’re using network bandwidth to transmit the data.

And let’s not forget cloud storage. It has changed our lives and made it so much easier to share, collaborate, and back up digital files. But cloud files are stored in massive data centres full of servers that run 24/7/365. All those servers generate a lot of heat that needs to be constantly cooled. Cooling takes a lot of electricity—not to mention chemical coolants.

Energy Innovation reports that data centres account for around 1% of world’s electricity use. Although this has been growing, there is some good news. These centres are getting more efficient thanks to large companies like Microsoft and Google switching to renewable energy sources. But they still use a lot of energy.

Differences between countries are significant

Interestingly, there is a huge difference between high- and low-income countries when it comes to digital consumption. An average American owns 10 digitally-connected devices and consumes 140 GB of data every month. By contrast, an average Indian owns 1 digitally-connected device and consumes 2 GB of data every month.

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Tips to help you do a digital declutter

The Shift Project has made recommendations for digital sobriety to prevent the further explosion of energy use to support digital consumption. Much of this falls to large companies and government organizations but there are things everyone can do to reduce the impact.

Here are some ideas to reduce the environmental footprint of your digital life:

Think before you save

The first step is to be thoughtful about what you save, and where you save it. When you create a file, consider how long you’ll need to keep this file around.

Use the cloud only for documents you’ll need to keep for a longer period of time. Store other items in a temporary folder on your desktop, or on an external hard-drive. I recently moved 1,000 of my blog’s Pinterest photos from the cloud to a folder on my desktop.

Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails

Is your inbox full of marketing emails? Do you find yourself deleting many of the messages that land in your inbox without opening or reading them? Do yourself and the planet a favour and unsubscribe. It will simplify your life and reduce the temptation to buy things you don’t need.

For more tips on cleaning up your email, check out this post.

Unfollow social media accounts

Along the same lines, unfollow social media accounts that don’t add value to your life. That includes companies but also friends and family whose messages bring you down.

Keep only the best photos

Smartphones and digital photography revolutionized how we take, save and share photos. The downside is we often end up with multiple shots of the same scene.

High resolution digital photos take up a lot of space. Take the time to sort through your pictures and delete duplicates. Keep only the best shots of each scene.

For more tips on organizing and backing up your photos, check out this post.

Empty your recycle bin and downloads regularly

The recycle bin and downloads folder on your computer can fill up pretty quickly. Get into the habit of emptying those folders once a month. It will free up space for other documents, and can improve the performance of your system.   

Delete apps you don’t use

Chances are your phone or tablet is full of apps you downloaded, used once or twice, and never returned to. Take a few minutes to delete those apps from your devices. Not only will it free up storage for stuff you actually want, but some of those old unsupported apps could pose a security risk.

Set a reminder to do a regular digital declutter

Digital clutter has a bad habit of sneaking up on you. Set a reminder in your calendar to do a digital declutter at least once a year.

Keep your hardware for longer…and then dispose of it properly

Finally, reduce your personal contribution to that 50 million tons of e-waste by keeping your devices just a little bit longer. Corporate marketers want you to think you absolutely must have the latest smartphone, tablet or laptop—but you really don’t.

The World Economic Forum reports that that extending the lifespan of smartphones and other electronic devices by just one year can save as many carbon emissions as taking two million cars off the road each year.

And, when you’re done with your devices, don’t just send them to landfill. Look for an e-waste collection drive in your area. You may be able to help out a local charity and safely dispose of your used devices at the same time.

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The digital world is here to stay and has many benefits. With a few small changes, you can reduce the environmental impact of your digital life while freeing up space and time to focus on what really matters. That’s a definite win!

When was the last time you did a digital declutter? Do you have tips to share? Tell me your thoughts below.