One of the worst things you can do for the planet is buy a single-use item that has to be thrown away after a very short lifespan. Tech accessories are notorious for this brand of waste because they are often tailor made for a specific gadget. You probably love buying iPhone cases that go with your personality. The problem is that the case is designed to fit exactly one generation of iPhone. Further, you are not going to resell it because it will start looking pretty rough by the time you are done with it. As a result, it is the most common, necessary, and awful accessory money can buy. Make no mistake about it: There is a lot of money that goes into buying a lot of wasteful smartphone cases.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could buy accessories for one device that you can use with every device? Moreover, it would be great if you could use those items for things that don’t have anything to do with consumer electronics. The environment, and your wallet will thank you for using the following:
Sustainable Glass Cleaner
Almost every electronic device you own has glass somewhere on the front, or back, or both. That is an awful lot of breakable surface. It is also an awful lot of surface to collect body oils, dirt, and smudges. You might be tempted to overpay for a bespoke, overpriced, underperforming iPhone glass cleaning solution that is wasteful and, if we are being perfectly honest, kind of stupid. As long as there are people willing to pay for them, there will be companies willing to produce them.
Why not use a more sustainable glass cleaner solution that is better for the environment, easily refillable, and can be used on anything. Yes, it even works on windows and mirrors. You can even clean your glasses. You don’t have to have specialized formulas for every piece of glass you have in the house. There are very few items that actually require a special cleaning solution. Why not cut down on the waste and use the same cleaning solution for all your grimy, glass gadgets? Just know that the world of glass cleaner is full of products that claim to be specially formulated for certain items, and people who claim their products are environmentally friendly. Skip the noise and go with the products actually made to be responsibly sourced and shipped. When it comes to glass cleaner, it’s time for a clean start.
Battery Packs
With the iPhone 12, Apple chose not to make a battery pack. This is despite the fact that the iPhone 12 mini really could have used it. Instead, they did something better: By not making form-fitting battery packs for the phones, they allowed the third-party market for battery packs to flourish. Not only does that mean iPhone users will stop buying battery packs for phones that they get rid of in a year, the third-party packs are less expensive, more powerful and can be used with almost any device that would normally be plugged in.
When you have a high-wattage power station, you can recharge anything while on the go, including laptops. You just have to be careful about not frying your devices by running too much power through them. The good chargers have safety measures to protect against that sort of thing. So don’t cheap out when it comes to running electricity through expensive gadgets.
Bluetooth Speakers
If you have an iPhone, you might be tempted to get one of those cute little HomePod mini speakers. Apple would love for you to believe that no other speaker will do. But what you might not realize is that a HomePod is not a Bluetooth speaker. It will only work with other Apple products. There is no way to make it work with anything else. If you buy a basic Bluetooth speaker, the sound will still be good enough and it will work with all of the devices in your household, not just with your iPhone.
There is nothing wrong with having an iPhone if that is your preference. But when it comes to accessories, stick to those with broader use such as sustainable glass cleaner, battery packs that work with everything, and speakers that will work with any device.
