Zero Waste Organo Workshop 3 - Digital Decluttering
Author: Susmita Changkakoty
Naga Vamsi Neelam
July 13, 2023
On 23rd June, As part of Zero Waste Organo, we conducted our 3rd workshop on Digital Decluttering. It was delivered by Narendra Darisa, Assistant Manager of IT and Naga Vamsi Neelam, Marketing Executive.
Digital clutter & its impact on environment
The workshop was started by explaining what digital clutter is and how it impacts our environment.Vamsi has defined digital clutter as “accumulation of digital files and data that are no longer needed and are out-of-date.” Some of the ways it impacts our environment are
Data that we store in a computer needs electricity to operate & most of our electricity is produced through unsustainable methods.
Data that we save in cloud storage is stored in a data center. To prevent the data center from overheating, it needs a cooling system which requires energy to work. It is estimated that the carbon footprint of the data center is equivalent to 2% of global emissions. It is expected to increase by 3.2% in 2025 and 14% in 2040..
Carbon dioxide is released and energy is used every time digital data is stored, transmitted, or accessed.
Facts of Digital Footprint
Here some facts Vamsi has brought to the attention of his colleagues
A regular email produces approximately 4 g CO2e, and an email with an attachment produces 50 g CO2e
Global email usage generates as much CO2 as having 7 million extra cars on the road.
Internet data makes up 4% of global carbon footprint, compared to the 2% produced by the aviation industry
Just one hour of videoconferencing or streaming, emits 150-1,000 grams of carbon dioxide.
Storing around 100 pictures in the cloud, along with some videos a few minutes long, is equivalent to driving a car for nearly 17 kilometers in terms of the energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
2 grams of carbon dioxide is emitted by one single search
While posting a photo emits 0.15g of CO2, scrolling on our newsfeed for 1 minute emits 1.5g of CO2.
A single selfie emits 5g of CO2
Using our mobile phone for an hour a day will emit 63 kg CO2e a year
Data usage at Organo
After this this initial overview by Vamsi, Mr. Narendra Darisa addressed his colleagues regarding the usage of data at Organo Office. He showed graphically how much server space has been used by each department & gave some suggestions to reduce the data stored. He also showed how much internet data has been consumed collectively on a monthly basis.
Behavioral changes to be adopted
He told all office employees to adopt some behavioral changes such as
Cleaning all the temp files ,and enabling storage cleanup option
Keeping the system on screen saver mode (power saving mode)
Unsubscribing from email lists, sorting what’s important using folders
Always having updated files in file server & deleting duplicates & unnecessary files
They ended the session after sharing 5 simple steps all can follow to reduce the digital footprint.
We can live better, healthier and happier lives with conscious use of technology and at the same time save our environment.
About Organo Et School (OES)
Organo Et School empowers people to embrace eco-living mindsets, behaviors, and habits. We recognize that for any positive impact to be sustainable, it must be long-term and inter-generational.
Organo Et School is a learning initiative set up by Organo in 2017 and has been facilitating field visits and workshops for Schools and Interest Groups. Organo Et School has had over 25+ schools, 6500+ students, and 3000+ adults participate over the last 5 years.
