How GIGA evaluates sustainability – and why

As a major online publisher, we at GIGA have a responsibility to you. This includes that we also discuss sustainability in the products that we test. We want to share our discussion with you and describe how we will assess sustainability in the future.

One of our principles at GIGA is that we practical testing. A word that sounds a little stiff, but it describes an aspect that is immensely important to us. This means that the most important criterion for us is how a device performs in everyday use – more important than measurements from laboratories. does it help you Is it comprehensible in use for beginners and professionals? Is it fun? Or, in contrast: nerve certain aspects? Does the device set you senseless limits or does it offer too little added value?

In times of climate change, the price question is: Should sustainability also be included in the GIGA test ratings? And if so, how? Although this aspect is already part of the rating of tested devices in some cases, we also want to be transparent with you, share our reflections and your ideas Listen.

At first glance, sustainability may not sound practical. Fresh out of the box, the new device initially works regardless of how much Energy in manufacturing and transportation flowed, under what circumstances the raw materials for the components were obtained and so on. On the other hand, sustainability is relevant after all.

What does sustainability mean for us?

Definitions vary in public debate. We understand sustainability to be the following 10 points:

• recycling: The raw materials for production should come from recycled sources as far as possible, and the product should be able to be returned to the material cycle after use with little effort.
• resource conservation: As little energy and resources as possible should be used in production and transport, and as little CO₂ as possible should be generated.
• Fair working conditions: Extraction of resources, manufacture of components and assembly of the product should take place under humane conditions, in compliance with occupational safety standards, without child labor and for a fair wage.
• transparency: Efforts to make a product sustainable should be documented as well as possible, the information should be freely accessible and comprehensible.
• energy efficiency: Even during the conception, care should be taken to use energy as sparingly as possible, and the product should be designed accordingly. Examples: Cd value for cars, standby consumption for consumer electronics.
• longevity: On the one hand, the product should be designed to be resistant to accidents (e.g. falling mobile phone) and natural influences (rain, sand), wearing parts should last as long as possible. On the other hand, it should be ensured that the software is not outdated and remains high-performing.
• repairability: In the event of defects, it should be possible for non-professionals to repair them themselves on the device or at least to choose the repair location freely. The manufacturer should provide repair documentation and spare parts, not integrate unnecessary hurdles to repair (gluing, proprietary screws).
• Usability without external dependencies: A product should be usable in its core purpose with as few external dependencies as possible (Internet access, user accounts, cloud services, etc.).
• Extensibility and interoperability: It should be possible to connect, expand and upgrade the product in the best possible way according to established standards. It should be designed to work with as wide a range of existing products as possible.
• Packaging: The packaging should have as little volume as possible, have no unnecessary components, avoid plastic and composite materials as much as possible.

You can find out more about the history of the concept of sustainability here:

Sustainability and practicality – is that possible?

The technological products we surround ourselves with are consumables with a half-life determined not only by wear and tear but also by technology cycles. And to get to the heart of a bitter truth: The products of our modern consumer world are generally not “green”. They are manufactured with a high expenditure of energy and resources, are no longer usable relatively quickly (keyword “planned obsolescence”) and then become waste that is difficult to recycle. Even products such as fair smartphones or electric cars are not inherently sustainable, but merely “less bad” than conventional models – and here too there are gradations.

Doing without electronic products is not an alternative for us either – but: Our planet’s resources are limited. The ecological footprint we leave behind is more important than ever. we have to Saving resources and that must also be reflected in our consumer decisions. The effect may be small for a single device, but as a (global) society we benefit when everyone saves energy, avoids waste, and so on, even on a small scale. Despite all the comfort and distraction that technology products bring us, we should still be considered. Sounds idealistic? Maybe, but what’s the alternative – to live as if nothing happened?

That is, quite specifically, the reason why we include sustainability in our test ratings: If you buy a device, it should as environmentally friendly as possible be and used for as long as possible can become. This is also good for your wallet.

Another reason for sustainability as a test criterion is the influence that GIGA has as a wide-reaching online medium: If we make sustainability visible and measurable in the evaluation of products, that also has a certain effect Impact on the electronics industry. Maybe other media will join in and the topic will become one that can no longer be ignored in the future. Manufacturers should also compete with each other in the area of ​​sustainability, just as they do with cameras, software and battery charging technologies.

Making sustainability measurable – the challenges

Sustainability is important and practical. That’s why it will be part of our test ratings, we have determined that. But how are we supposed to do that? These are the key challenges that emerged in our internal discussion:

• Lack of transparency: As a rule, the manufacturers are rather sparing with information on the production conditions. We often do not know the production chain and delivery routes. This is often a “black box” even for the manufacturer, because individual production steps are usually handled by subcontractors.
• Lack of verifiability: Even if a manufacturer offers comprehensive documentation about their own sustainable efforts in the best case, these measures are not directly comprehensible for us and cannot be independently checked by us – as with performance, display brightness or camera quality.
• Complexity and impact of certain measures: How do you weigh recycled materials against the fact that the components may have circumnavigated the world twice? Is a fairly manufactured smartphone with an average usage time of 1½ years better than a “conventional” one that can be used for 4 years? Weighing up one sustainable or sustainable-sounding measure against another is extremely difficult. And that brings us to the next point.
• Green washing: Sustainability is a trend and manufacturers know it. Measures in the advertising of the products that aim in this direction, such as plastic parts from recycled fishing nets or soy ink on the cardboard packaging, are placed at the forefront. It all sounds good and reassures consumers, but honestly one can assume that these measures make up a negligibly small part of the overall balance of the devices. Although these steps attest good will – how do you weight them?
• Seal: Test seals often suggest, for example, fairness and environmental protection in production. However, these often do not come from independent institutes. This can also be greenwashing.
• The “baseline” is missing: When it comes to sustainability, there is practically no standard. Apart from niche devices such as the Fairphone or individual initiatives, no manufacturer has yet set an example that the entire electronics industry can use as a guide. Of course, developments towards more sustainability cannot be implemented overnight. But does that mean that we basically have to rate all manufacturers with the equivalent of a school grade of 6, with an upward trend for individual measures?
• Advantages, the disadvantages are: Is a missing power adapter in the mobile phone packaging an advantage? Yes, because this reduces the pack size and makes transport more resource-efficient. No, because it may force buyers to purchase additional electronics. The same applies to pre-applied screen protectors (additional waste vs. added convenience) and supplied cases (avoided additional purchase vs. unnecessary disposable plastic if you use a different case). How do you weight such aspects?

More about greenwashing in the video:

What we will do

To intense discussions we have developed an idea of ​​how we will evaluate sustainability in the future.

• The following aspects are included in our sustainability rating:
  • Packaging: Are there unnecessary, compostable or no plastic wrappers? Are there unnecessary accessories?
  • longevity: Is the product robustly constructed, is it protected against water and dust, for example? Is there a guarantee for software updates? Does the product have visible, non-repairable wearing parts or structural weaknesses (“predetermined breaking points”)? Are there theoretically unnecessary dependencies for the functionality, e.g. accounts or cloud services?
  • repairability: Is there a replaceable battery or even a modular design? Does the manufacturer offer support and spare parts for easy repairs? Are there unnecessary hurdles to self-repair (gluing, proprietary screws)?
  • recyclability: Does the manufacturer accept old devices? If so, only your own products or also those of other manufacturers? If so, are they properly recycled? Are incentives created, such as discounts on new purchases?
  • transparency: Does the manufacturer offer information on raw materials, supply chains and working conditions as well as sustainability reports online?
• We don’t speculate; we evaluate what we can evaluate. For this we take action own assessments and experiences with the device back, but also to external independent sources, for example device teardowns from iFixit or the tests of independent institutes specializing in this.
• We’re over Ambivalence in the assessment clear, for example in terms of the scope of delivery. Such internal contradictions also exist in other areas and are part of them; it is important that they are discussed.
• Regardless of the number of other criteria and their weighting, sustainability affects you 10% influence on the overall grade out. This influence may increase in the future. The sustainability rating is examined in more detail in the test article.
• By default, a product does not start at 0 on our 10-point scale in the individual sustainability score, at least until a baseline is established. Instead, we’ll go from one for now “Average” of 5 out, by above criteria improved or worsened can be.
• Our solution has already been applied to some of the test reports from the last few weeks, but is for future test reports on technical products that will appear on GIGA mandatory.

We realize that our solution is not perfect at first is. We would like to emphasize that this guideline is an “intermediate step”, a starting point that is based on the feasibility in everyday editorial work. This solution should and will be refined over time – we look forward to your ideas and feedback.