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Information and background material

Help us to spread the word about the environmental impact of e-waste and the short lifespan of our phones - and how to help reducing the problem by upcycling your Android device with Free Software.

On this page you find a collection of information and background material. The range of material currently includes stickers, infographics, leaflets, videos, podcasts, articles, and studies.

Come back once in a while to look for new content and help us to spread the word and explain our cause to other people.

Stickers

Upcycling Android - square - 74mm

Square sticker of the Upcycling Android campaign

Our Upcycling Android sticker with the slogan, the logo, and the Internet Address. The sticker is square with rounded edges. The size of the sticker is 74mm x 74mm and you can order it for free on our Spread the word page.

Save Your Droid - round - 50mm

Round sticker of the Upcycling Android campaign

Our Upcycling Android sticker with the slogan "Save Your Droid", the logo, and the Internet address. The sticker is round with a size of 50mm. You can order it for free on our Spread the word page.

Infographics

How does phone production affect the environment?

Thumbnail of infographic about the environmental impact of your phone

How does phone production affect the environment? Our infographic demonstrates the impact that growing phone production has on our environment and a solution: Renew and keep using your phone with Free Software! The size is DINA4 so you can print the poster yourself and put it up in a community space if you want. Download the PDF here or enjoy the high resolution picture, share it with your friends or in the Internet.

How to upcycle your phone and extend its usage lifetime

Thumbnail of infographic about How to upcycle your phone and extend its usage lifetime

Tired of replacing your phone every other year? Then renew and keep using your phone with Free Software! Our infographic poster explains very concise how to upcycle your phone and extend its usage lifetime. The size is DINA4 so you can print the poster yourself and put it up in a community space if you want. Download the PDF here or enjoy the full resolution picture, share it with your friends or the Internet.

Leaflets

How to install and use F-Droid

Thumbnail of F-Droid leaflet

This is a leaflet about F-Droid, the Free Software App Repository for Android and Android-based custom ROMs. This leaflet explains the installation and use of F-Droid - the Free App store without Ads, Spying, Tracking or the need of a Google account. It also includes some recommendations of pretty good Free Software Apps for you to use. You can order it for free on our Spread the word page.

Posters

Take control and upcycle your phone

Preview of poster

Our Upcycling Android poster is A2 size, take control and upcycle your phone!. You can order it for free on our Spread the word page.

Videos

Upcycling Android

Thumbnail of our Upcycling Android video

Every year, 1.5 billion smartphones are manufactured worldwide - and probably just as many are thrown away. Most of them after way too short usage times. E-waste increases every year. The production of devices requires a lot of energy and natural resources. With Upcycling Android we try to fix that problem - for Android devices in particular! Our video explains the problem in a nutshell and shows how to overcome software obsolescence and help save the climate at the same time. Enjoy and share it with your friends! Watch it on FSFE-Tube (Peertube) or on Youtube

Wie ein universelles Recht auf Software auch ein Umweltschutz ist

Thumbnail of our Upcycling Android video

A presentation by Erik Albers in Bits und Bäume 2022. Enjoy and share it with your friends! Watch it on FSFE-Tube (Peertube) or on media.ccc.de.

Über die Nachhaltigkeit von Software

Thumbnail of Erik Albers giving a talk about software sustainability at Chaos Communication Camp 2019

Erik Albers gives a talk on the sustainability of software and Free Software. The talk discusses how and where sustainable management and consumption of software as a resource is in many ways contrary to the sustainable consumption of natural resources. And how we can take advantage of these characteristics to make software sustainable and thus to preserve it for the future. The talk is in German. Watch it on FSFE-Tube (Peertube) or on media.ccc.de.

MicroG – what it is and where it’s going

Thumbnail of Marvin giving a talk about MicroG at SFScon 2019

Marvin W is one of the core developers of microG, a replacement for proprietary Google libraries available for custom ROMs. Marvin's talk at SFScon 2019 introduces what microG is and its history, shows how it works on a high level and how it can help provide more freedom to Android apps and devices. Finally it gives an overview of what is happening now around microG and what is planned to happen short- and longterm. Watch it on FSFE-Tube (Peertube) or on Youtube.

F-Droid: Pimp your Android(-fork) with the best Free Software apps

Thumbnail of Erik Albers giving a talk about Fdroid at 35C3

After a short introduction about software freedom on Android and Custom ROMs, Erik Albers demonstrates the Free-Software-App-Repository "F-Droid" with its decentralised and anti-censorship features. But as F-Droid offers you access to hundreds of Free-Software-apps and the sheer amount can be overwhelming in the beginning, in a next step Erik comes up with the most important apps (in his opinion) you should be aware of to get started. Watch it on FSFE-Tube (Peertube) or on media.ccc.de.

Podcasts

All about Upcycling Android

upcycling andoird banner

In November 2021 the FSFE has launched the new campaign "Upcycling Android". If you haven't already upcycled your phone or you are curious to learn more about the campaign listen to our new Software Freedom Podcast episode with the campaigns manager Erik Albers.

How to support Free Software and a sustainable digital infrastructure

Portrait of Elisa Lindinger

For this episode of the FSFE's Software Freedom Podcast, Matthias Kirschner and Bonnie Mehring talk with Elisa Lindinger about the needs of those working for software freedom and a digital infrastructure for the public. What concrete actions are needed to create sustainable Free Software communities and projects, what a sustainable digital civil society can look like and what is still needed for this aim to be reached? This episode provides knowledge and insights for all of you who want to support Free Software and create a long-lasting digital society.

Articles & Studies

On the Sustainability of Software

Thumbnail of a graphic explaining software obsolescence

The study starts with definition of software sustainability and its characteristics. It shows how the inherent characteristics of Free Software are sustainable as well as their impact on IT infrastructures. Software obsolescence is explained and the possibilities of using Free Software to save natural resources by extending hardware usage lifetime and through energy consumption savings. Finally, five politically necessary directives for a more sustainable digital society are outlined. Read the full study.

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The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.