Curious about whether your mobile phone aligns with your vegan lifestyle?
Given the complexity of modern technology, it’s not as straightforward as checking the ingredients on a food label.
So, in this article, I’ll address the main areas of concern for vegans and some potential ethical solutions.
Uncovering Mobile Phone’s Potential Animal Ingredients
When it comes to determining if your mobile phone is vegan, it’s tricky.
Unfortunately, it’s not like phone manufacturers publicly disclose or are open about the materials used in the fabrication of their devices, so it’s difficult to confirm exactly whether animal ingredients are used.
And given the complexity of the supply chain and manufacturing processes involved in creating a mobile phone, it’s not easy to figure it out.
There are a few potential areas of concern when it comes to animal-derived materials:
1. LCD Screens
There is some speculation that liquid crystals used in LCD screens might be derived from animal cholesterol, which is certainly a concern for vegans.
However, it’s pretty difficult to find hard evidence to support that, in fact, the only reputable source I found covering the chemistry behind LCD screens states that liquid crystals are made from a molecule known as 5CB, or 4-Cyano-4’-pentylbiphenyl, which is a synthetic compound. [1]
If you have any evidence of the contrary that can prove (definitively) that LCD screens are made with animal cholesterol, please contact me as I’d like to know the truth.
If you’re interested in getting a new mobile phone, know that more recent models, like the newest iPhones, have built-in OLED displays.
OLED stands for ‘Organic Light Emitting Diode’, with the term “organic” in this context referring to the presence of carbon atoms in the light-emitting layers.
This type of technology does not use any light crystals or any kind of animal-derived materials during the manufacturing process, so if you’re worried about LCD screens, be sure to consider OLED screens before getting a new phone.
2. Gelatin in Metal Processing
There is also a claim that gelatin is used to treat the metals used to make batteries, but like the previous cause of concern, I’m unable to find a scholarly or industry source that describes the use of gelatin as a standard material in the manufacture of batteries.
The closest thing I’ve been able to find was a couple of specific research papers exploring the effects of gelatin lithium-ion batteries. [2][3]
However, this does not suggest that there is an industry-wide use of gelatin for battery manufacturing, and it would be dishonest of me to claim the contrary.
3. Glue
Yes, it’s the case that some types of glue can contain animal ingredients, for instance, gelatin and casein have been used historically in glue production.
However, since the advent of synthetic adhesives, their use has declined significantly across different industries due to factors such as improved performance, consistency, and cost-effectiveness.
In certain specific applications, such as bookbinding, restoration, and some woodworking or musical instrument making, animal glue may still be used due to its unique properties, such as reversibility (it can be softened with moisture and heat for removal or repositioning).
But in the electronics industry, I would say it’s unlikely since the adhesives need to have properties such as electrical conductivity or thermal resistance, and they often need to withstand high temperatures or harsh conditions, and synthetic adhesives like epoxies, silicones, and acrylics are better suited for those roles.
In fact, according to a paper from Loughborough University, the most used adhesives in electronic manufacturing include the ones I’ve mentioned, as well as:
– Urethane acrylates
– Cyanoacrylates (super glues)
– Polyurethanes
These adhesives are derived from petrochemicals, so they’re not extracted from or mixed with any animal derivatives (that I know about). [4]
However, if you feel like I might be dead wrong about this or you have any information that I don’t know about, please share it!
Addressing Labor Rights
Many vegans I know are also supportive of causes that protect human rights, especially when it comes to victims of inhumane labor practices.
Sadly, even in the development of great technology, there is a deeply unsettling burden that is placed on top of the shoulders of the developing world, once more.
Cobalt is the key component in the lithium-ion batteries that power mobile phones and electronic devices; a mineral that is linked to serious ethical and environmental issues, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which produces more than 60% of the world’s cobalt supply. [5]
Child labor is alarmingly common in cobalt mines, with children as young as seven working in dangerous conditions to extract the metal. These children face physical risks from the hard labor and are also exposed to cobalt dust, which can lead to potentially fatal lung diseases.
Adult miners are not immune to the hazards either. They often work without even the most basic protective equipment in unregulated mines, frequently suffering from the same health problems as the children. The working conditions are harsh and dangerous, with long hours, low pay, and a high risk of accidents.
There are also environmental concerns associated with the extraction of this mineral since the process can result in severe pollution that contaminates local water supplies and harms wildlife, affecting local communities who depend on these resources.
These ethical and environmental factors also prevent a vegan from buying just any smartphone and with due reason.
The tech industry needs to take full responsibility for its supply chains, investing in better practices and supporting the development of safer, more ethical alternatives.
Hence the importance of thinking about the impact of our buying decisions and considering the most ethical solutions before pulling the trigger.
What Are The Alternatives?
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t able to find many ethical smartphone alternatives, apart from one called Fairphone, which is the only phone company that has ethics and sustainability as their unique selling point.
They place a strong emphasis on fair labor practices, sustainably sourced materials, and durable, repairable design.
Their approach to sourcing materials like tin, tungsten, and gold aims to reduce environmental harm and support local economies, and their phone design focuses on longevity, with the latest model, Fairphone 4, being fully modular for easy repair and reducing electronic waste.
Fairphone represents an important step towards more ethical and sustainable electronics. It’s not perfect, and challenges remain, but it offers a conscientious alternative to conventional smartphones.
Here is a video review of the Fairphone 4 from Marques Brownless:
As consumers, we can contribute to positive change by supporting such initiatives and by using, repairing, and recycling our devices responsibly.
Not Swapping Phones Frequently
In addition to considering more ethical smartphone options like Fairphone, another significant way we can lessen our ethical and environmental footprint is by holding onto our existing phones for longer.
The drive to constantly upgrade to the latest model contributes to a cycle of rapid manufacturing and disposal, which puts strain on resources and leads to a considerable amount of electronic waste.
Each new smartphone produced means more raw materials sourced, more energy consumed in manufacturing, and eventually, more waste when the device is discarded.
If you hold on to your urge to constantly swap phones, you can reduce the demand for new devices and the associated resource extraction, but also reduce the amount of e-waste produced.
And when your current phone does eventually reach the end of its life, you can also opt for disposing of it responsibly. Many components inside smartphones can be recycled, and many programs and services can help with this. Some companies even offer incentives for trading in old devices.
Alas, despite being an advocate for minimalism and only trying to buy what’s deemed necessary, I do worry about the relationship between consumer demand, labor, and economic stability in resource-rich countries.
If demand for smartphones were to drop dramatically, it could have economic consequences for those who rely on cobalt mining for their livelihoods (inhumane conditions aside), including many in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where much of the world’s cobalt is sourced.
So, maybe rather than curbing demand, the optimal solution would be for us, consumers, and governments, to hold these corporations accountable and ensure the improvement of working conditions and a fair distribution of the economic benefits of these resources.
Conclusion
Based on the research I’ve done, I wasn’t able to find serious evidence to prove the definitive presence of animal ingredients in mobile phones or smartphones.
Sure, I don’t exclude the possibility of an animal ingredient being used in the manufacturing process, but there are no scholarly or industry sources that describe the use of such ingredients in electronics.
I think the bigger problem lies with the violation of human rights, with one of the most striking examples being the cobalt mines in the Congo; where the mining conditions are alarmingly inhumane, and children as young as seven are forced into labor, facing perils of toxic dust exposure and life-threatening working conditions.
Adults are no exception, and also work under dangerous circumstances without adequate safety measures, all for meager wages.
As fellow humans, it should be our mission to raise awareness and push our governments to employ regulations that hold corporations accountable for such exploitative acts.
References:
1. https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2022/the-chemistry-behind-your-lcd-flat-screen-devices-how-a-scientist-changed-the-world.
2. Dominko, Robert & Gaberscek, Miran & Bele, Marjan & Drofenik, Jernej & Skou, E. & Würsig, Andreas & Novák, P. & Jamnik, J.. (2004). Understanding the Role of Gelatin as a Pretreating Agent for Use in Li-Ion Batteries. Journal of The Electrochemical Society – J ELECTROCHEM SOC. 151. 10.1149/1.1758813.
3. Pejovnik, Stane & Bele, Marjan & Dominko, Robert & Drofenik, Jernej & Gaberscek, Miran. (2001). Use of materials science principles in battery design: Gelatin in lithium batteries. Acta Chimica Slovenica. 48. 115-125.
4. https://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/mechman/research/ipm ktn/pdf/Technology_review/adhesives-in-electronics.pdf
5. https://investingnews.com/where-is-cobalt-mined/
