request | are you keeping (unsupported) hardware in use by running Plasma?

[Joseph P. De Veaugh-Geiss]

Hello,

as part of the /Blauer Engel 4 FOSS/ project I am currently working on a 
handbook for eco-certifying desktop software, and the issues of 
software-driven hardware obsolescence and the "tsunami of e-waste" are a 
part of it.

And I am wondering: Can the community provide a list of hardware they 
keep out of landfills by running KDE Plasma + their distribution of choice?

Perhaps I can include some of this information in the handbook to 
underscore (again) how Free Software is more sustainable by providing 
*users* the choice of when to retire their hardware.

So, if you have a moment, and you would like to help me make of list of 
hardware KDE continues to keep in use, can you send me the following?

- Distro and desktop environment you use,
- hardware information (RAM, etc.), and
- bonus points if you know that other operating systems have 
discontinued support for that hardware (and if possible a link).

Also, feel free to share any stories that may be relevant. For instance, 
I convinced my parents some years ago to switch to GNU/Linux when their 
previous OS was pushing an update that gave them the unfortunate news 
that "This device doesn’t meet minimum system requirements...". They did 
not want to buy new hardware since the hardware was still new and worked 
just fine. In fact, I believe the laptops were only 3 years old! I got 
this email from my mom recently, and I quote: "I am glad that I switched 
95% of the time."

Cheers, and thanks!

Joseph

Some information about e-waste (to be included in the handbook):

- E-waste is considered the "fastest-growing waste stream in the world", 
with 44.7 million metric tons generated in 2016. [1] This is roughly 
equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel towers. [2]

- In 2018, an estimated 50 million metric tons of e-waste was reported, 
motivating the UN to refer to a "tsunami of e-waste rolling out over the 
world". [3]

- The numbers continue to rise: in 2021 an estimated 57 million metric 
tons of e-waste was generated globally, a ~25% increase in just 5 years 
from 2016. [4]

- Less than 20% of e-waste is collected and recycled. [5]

- Although it makes up only 2% of trash in landfills, e-waste 
contributes to almost 70% of the toxic waste there. [6]

[1] 
https://www.weforum.org/reports/a-new-circular-vision-for-electronics-time-for-a-global-reboot/
[2] 
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Climate-Change/Documents/GEM%202017/Global-E-waste%20Monitor%202017%20.pdf
[3] https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/05/497772
[4] https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61350996
[5] https://weee-forum.org/ws_news/international-e-waste-day-2021/
[6] 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/vianneyvaute/2019/04/23/with-love-from-an-oregon-prison-how-eric-lundgren-is-going-to-help-you-recycle-all-your-electronics/

-- 
Joseph P. De Veaugh-Geiss
BE4FOSS Project and Community Manager (KDE Eco)
OpenPGP: 8FC5 4178 DC44 AD55 08E7 DF57 453E 5746 59A6 C06F

---
KDE Eco: Building Energy-Efficient Free Software!

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