Digital downsizing: do you know the carbon cost of digital?

In recent years, many of us have made a conscious effort to be kinder to the planet by doing things such as reducing our landfill waste, using less single-use plastic, and recycling more. But have you thought about the impact your digital activities are having on the environment?

We’re working to hard to make Something Big a sustainable business that has a positive impact on our environment and humankind. We’re not just doing what we can to reduce, mitigate or eliminate our impact on the planet, but as a B Corp creative communications agency, we’re also making it our responsibility to raise our voice and lead by example. You can see our previous sustainability campaign, tackling single-use plastic pens in the marketing industry here. 

With technology playing a huge part in our everyday lives, at work and at home, it’s become second nature to sign up for email newsletters, do a quick Google search when we’re curious about something, and save our documents and photos in the cloud. However, every one of these actions contributes to our digital carbon footprint. With our latest campaign driven by our Sustainability Champions, we have looked to encourage people to make more sustainable choices when it comes to their digital habits.

Tips to downsize your digital footprint

Did you know that sending just one email containing an image or attachment can produce up to 50g of CO₂? That’s the same as a light being on for 35 minutes. Or just two internet searches via Google can produce up to 15g of CO₂? That’s the same as the amount produced when you boil a kettle.

Here are some simple steps you can take to downsize your digital footprint:

• Regularly clean out unused files from your cloud storage and avoid storing the same file in multiple places.
• Consider using cloud storage providers that use 100% renewable energy.
• Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters.
• Keep mailing lists clean and targeted.
• Avoid sending unnecessary emails.
• Consider using cloud storage links for email attachments where possible.
• Only turn your camera on when it’s necessary and adds value to the conversation.
• Be specific with your search terms.

Read more about our sustainability commitments in our impact report ‘Growth redefined’.

If you’re looking to improve the impact that your business is making on the planet, get in touch to see how we can help.