Digital Cleanup Week: Ready for a clean digital life?

Digital Cleanup Week: Ready for a clean digital life?

The coming one Digital Cleanup Week at the University of Münster from March 8th to 15th, 2025 aims to raise awareness of the ecological impacts of digital activities. It starts today with an online check-in that offers an insight into current data and facts about the ecological footprint of digital activities. Programs are also presented and space is created for exchange and discussion.

On Tuesday there will also be guided tours of the data center, led by Holger Angenent and only accessible to employees. These tours provide insights into the university's server and storage systems as well as information about the energy consumption of the infrastructure. There will also be one on TuesdayMind snackon the subject of data protection, in which speakers Nina Meyer-Pachur and Sophie-Charlotte Rydzik give practical tips for everyday office life.

Digital Cleanup Day: A global concern

The highlight of the week is this Digital Cleanup Day, which will take place on Saturday, March 15, 2025. This global initiative, organized by Let’s Do It World, promotes reducing digital waste and improving digital lifestyles.

In 2024, people from 98 countries took part and over 315,000 individual cleanups were registered. These led to the deletion of over 1.8 million GB of data and prevented the release of 457,283 kilograms of CO₂ into the atmosphere. Those interested can actively participate in Digital Cleanup Day by deleting unnecessary files, emails and unused applications on their devices.

Sustainability in the digital age

The need for digital sustainability is reinforced by the significant greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and use of digital devices. According to an article by Öko-Institut, the production of a laptop produces around 250 kg of CO₂ and its use causes an additional 63 kg of CO₂ per year. Smartphones and televisions have similar emissions profiles, which can increase the aggregate carbon footprint of an individual user up to 850 kg per year.

Additionally, the ecological footprint is increased by data transmission and the energy consumed by data centers. An average internet user produces 213 kg of CO₂ every year just from using digital services. This makes education about the energy consumption and emissions of digital devices even more important.

In the first week of Digital Cleanup Week, participants can not only actively reduce their digital footprint, but also discuss sustainable social media alternatives. These issues are particularly relevant as the University of Münster shut down its Twitter/X account earlier this year to highlight more sustainable forms of communication, including the Fediverse project developed by students.