Think of the environment before buying a new phone

Fans are desperate to lay their hands on the larger-screen iPhone 6, thanks to Apple's "hunger marketing". Analysts are busy debating which of the phones giants - Apple, Samsung or Xiaomi - leads the Chinese market. But too few people spare a thought to environmental damage caused by cell phones.

Indeed, smartphones are great innovative gadgets, but they also entice people to change even phones that are as good as new, and thus worsen the already serious environmental pollution. Theoretically, a cell phone can be used for eight years, but in practice one lasts 15 months on average in China, according to D.Phone.

From production to disposal, cell phones, even those made by big brands like Apple and Samsung, pollute the environment. A study by the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and ifixit.com showed that each of the 36 dissected phone models contained at least one of the following toxic elements: lead, bromine, chlorine, mercury and cadmium. And these toxic elements are linked to birth defects, impaired learning and other serious health problems.