Enter now: nominate your Sustainability Heroes in this year’s TechRadar Choice Awards

Green earth chip on a motherboard
(Image credit: Shutterstock / chayanuphol)
Sustainability Week 2024

This article is part of a series of sustainability-themed articles we're running to observe Earth Day 2024 and promote more sustainable practices. Check out all of our Sustainability Week 2024 content.

The nominations for the TechRadar Choice Sustainability Hero awards are now open.

We’ll be accepting nominations all month long until the end of July, when our Sustainability Partners at Seismic will be stepping in to help us decide on five worthy winners who are making an impact and contributing towards a greener tech industry. 

Want to read more about why we’re doing these awards? Check out our announcement post for more insight. 

As we detailed a few weeks ago when we announced the TechRadar Sustainability Awards 2025, we’re soft launching next year’s awards with five Sustainability Hero awards as part of this year’s TechRadar Choice Awards 2024.  

How to enter

Head on over to our Sustainability Hero Awards entry page now to nominate your brand, a brand you represent or a brand you love who are striving to make positive changes towards sustainability. 

There are eight categories to choose from, which are detailed below as advised by Seismic, and you can nominate yourself for up to three categories.

Sustainability Awards categories

Embodied Carbon

Embodied carbon refers to the carbon emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation and disposal of products and materials. These typically account for the largest part of a technology device’s carbon footprint. For example, research shows that over 80% of a laptop’s footprint arises from embodied carbon.

E-waste 

The disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) is a major concern within the tech industry. Many electronic devices contain hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium, which can pollute soil and water if not properly disposed of. Recycling and responsible disposal of e-waste are essential to mitigate environmental impact. Understanding how companies are addressing the growing e-waste crisis is essential (for example, through building a closed-loop supply chain).

Designed for Disposal

The technology industry is characterized by rapid innovation and frequent product obsolescence. As newer and more advanced devices enter the market, older models are often discarded or replaced, contributing to greater e-waste and an increase in embodied carbon due to more frequent manufacturing cycles. This cycle of consumption exacerbates the environmental impact of the industry by driving up demand for new products and accelerating resource depletion. A focus on designing products for longevity, repairability and recyclability is crucial for reducing embodied carbon and promoting sustainability in the tech industry.

Digital Inclusion 

Digital inclusion is a sustainability issue with social implications. While 95% of the global population has the theoretical potential to access the internet, almost half remain offline due to limited digital skills or financial constraints. Ensuring equitable access to technology and digital resources can help narrow the digital divide and empower marginalized communities while promoting sustainable development.

Raw Material Extraction

The production of technology devices requires extracting and processing various natural resources, including precious metals like gold, silver, platinum and tantalum. Mining for these metals has detrimental consequences for the environment and can lead to deforestation, pollution and habitat destruction. Moreover, “conflict minerals” – including tantalum, tungsten and gold – are essential components of circuit boards, batteries and other electronic parts. These are often sourced from regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where over recent decades mines have been controlled by armed militia. This has led to severe human rights abuses and helped fund a devastating civil war in the country.

Energy Consumption

Recent reports suggest that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accounted for 4-6% of all electricity consumption globally in 2020. Estimates suggest that user devices consume more energy than networks and data centers combined. This is forecast to increase over the next five to ten years. To address this issue it is important to understand what companies have done and are doing to address the energy efficiency of devices.

Tech for Good 

This refers to the use of technology to address social, environmental and humanitarian challenges and to create positive impact in the world. It encompasses various initiatives, projects and innovations that leverage technology to improve people's lives, protect the planet and promote sustainability and equity. 

Supply Chain Sustainability

There are two critical issues in ensuring technology supply chain sustainability that would be important to concentrate on. Firstly, Labour Standards and Fair Labour Practices: it is essential for companies to uphold fair labour practices, ensuring safe working conditions and fair wages throughout the supply chain. Secondly, Transparency and Traceability: providing transparency into the supply chain and ensuring traceability of materials are crucial to identify and address any ethical or environmental issues.


Enter now for your chance to be one of TechRadar's Sustainability Heroes.

The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR TEAM'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.

Read more
Apple Watch Series 10 experience
How can we make wearables more sustainable, and is it even possible?
Sustainability
Compliance to competitive edge: how sustainability drives business value
A person using a desktop computer.
The role of automation in achieving sustainability goals
CES Picks Awards 2025
TechRadar Pro, Residential Systems, and TWICE announce CES Picks 2025 winners
A person holding out their hand with a digital AI symbol.
Satellites, AI and blockchain: the unsung heroes in sustainability innovation
Data center racks with cables and servers
What data centers should consider to establish more sustainable operations
Latest in Tech
Ray-Ban smart glasses with the Cpperni logo, an LED array, and a MacBook Air with M4 next to ecah other.
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Twitter's massive outage to iRobot's impressive new Roombas
A triptych image featuring the Sennheiser HD 505, Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025), and Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4).
5 unmissable tech reviews of the week: why the MacBook Air (M4) should be your next laptop and the best sounding OLED TV ever
Apple iPhone 16e
Which affordable phone wins the mid-range race: the iPhone 16e, Nothing 3a, or Samsung Galaxy A56? Our latest podcast tells all
The Apple MacBook Air next to the Dyson Supersonic R and new AMD GPU
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from the best tech at MWC to Apple's new iPads and MacBooks
A triptych image featuring the Bose Solo Soundbar 2, Nothing Phone 3a Pro and the Panasonic Lumix S1R II.
5 trailblazing tech reviews of the week: Nothing's stylish, affordable flagship and why you should buy AMD's new graphics card over Nvidia's
The best tech of MWC 2025 examples, including the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, the Nubia Flip 2, and the Lenovo Solar PC
Best of MWC 2025: the 10 top tech launches we tried on the show floor
Latest in Features
A couple angry at each other while lying in bed
Should you use ChatGPT to win an argument? I spoke to mental health and relationship experts to find out
Google Gemini AI
Gemini Deep Research is now free - here are 4 ways to get the most out of Google’s awesome AI tool
An iPhone showing the ChatGPT logo on its screen
5 better prompts to use with ChatGPT
This is Spinal Tap
5 great free movies to stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex and more this week (March 17)
A screenshot from the movie Sea Fever on Prime Video
5 Irish horror movies and shows I recommend streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu and more this St Patrick's Day
The Righteous Gemstones
Max's #4 most-watched show is The Righteous Gemstones – here are 3 more great comedies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes