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J277 1.6.1 Environmental choices

Part 3 of 4 · J277 1.6 · Digital impacts: Depth

Environmental choices across a device's lifecycle, with short explanations and a balanced decision.

Students will:

  • explain materials, manufacture, use and end-of-life effects
  • distinguish repair, reuse and recycling
  • connect affordability and repair restrictions to people
  • distinguish efficiency per task from total demand
  • use evidence to justify keeping or replacing equipment

Inside: 4 text sections, 2 multiple-choice activities, 1 completion activity, 7 written answers. 22 marks. Suggested teaching time: 40–60 minutes. 1 diagram.

Includes a teacher guide with suggested sections, timings and common misconceptions.

Series: J277 1.6 · Digital impacts: Depth, part 3 of 4.

Shared by Coding PathwayVerified teacher

  • 14 cells
  • About 45 minutes
  • CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Shared 17 Aug 2026
  • Updated 27 Oct 2026

Preview

The whole resource, exactly as a class sees it. Answers and marking are held back.

Environmental choices

A device's lifecycle includes obtaining materials, making and transporting it, using it and dealing with it afterwards. Energy use during operation is only one part.

Follow the whole lifecycle Materials are obtained, devices are manufactured and transported, used, then reused or processed as waste. Repair and reuse can extend the use stage; recycling recovers some materials but also needs resources. Follow the whole lifecycleMaterialsExtraction uses resources and energyMake and deliverFactories and transport have impactsUseDevices and services need electricityAfter useReuse or safe waste treatmentRepair and reuse can extend use.

Repair fixes a fault. Reuse gives a working product another use or user. Recycling recovers materials from waste. These actions can reduce harm; none has zero environmental impact.

Fill in the blanks3 marks
Replacing a broken charging socket is a Answer 1. Giving a working laptop to another user is Answer 2. Recovering metals from discarded electronics is Answer 3.
  • reuse
  • repair
  • recycling
  • encryption
Multiple choice1 mark

A newer laptop uses less electricity each hour. Which conclusion is justified?

  • AReplacing every working laptop must reduce total impact
  • BManufacturing the new laptop has no impact
  • CKeeping the old laptop always has no impact
  • DThe decision also needs manufacturing, disposal and expected use to be considered

1. A repair decision

A manufacturer makes a phone with a cheaper sealed battery. Replacing the battery requires specialist work, so some users replace the whole phone when the battery fails. The lower purchase price makes the phone affordable to more people.

Written answer2 marks

A phone works except for its worn-out battery. Explain one environmental benefit of replacing the battery rather than the whole phone.

Students type their answer here.

Written answer2 marks

A company increases the number of phones it manufactures each year. Explain one possible environmental consequence.

Students type their answer here.

Written answer2 marks

A sealed-battery design reduces a phone's purchase price. Explain one ethical benefit for customers with limited budgets.

Students type their answer here.

Written answer2 marks

Replacing a sealed phone battery needs specialist work. Explain one ethical concern for a customer whose battery has failed.

Students type their answer here.

2. Efficient services can still grow

Cloud services use physical servers, networks and cooling equipment. A more efficient server may use less energy for a given amount of work. If total demand grows, the provider may still need more electricity or equipment overall.

For a decision, ask what has changed, across how many devices and over how long. Use evidence rather than invented statistics.

Written answer3 marks

A data centre uses more efficient servers, but its total customer workload increases. Explain why total electricity use might not fall.

Students type their answer here.

Multiple choice1 mark

A school gives working laptops to another school after removing its files. Which description is most accurate?

  • AReuse extends use of complete devices
  • BRecycling has already recovered all the metals
  • CThe action guarantees no further electricity is used
  • DManufacturing more laptops is the only possible next step
Written answer2 marks

A school can keep its working laptops for three years or replace them with more efficient models. Describe one piece of information that would help compare the environmental choices, explaining how it would help.

Students type their answer here.

Written answer4 marks

A school can keep its working laptops for three more years or replace them with more efficient models. Recommend one option and justify it using one environmental benefit and one environmental drawback of that option.

Students type their answer here.

Review

For one claim, explain the route from the decision to materials, energy or waste. Check that your conclusion considers more than one stage of the lifecycle.