India, June 6 -- World Environment Day may have just passed, but our responsibility to care for the planet remains ongoing. E-waste, especially from mobile phones, continues to be a major concern. As new models roll out every year, perfectly good phones are often left behind, adding to the mountain of electronic waste. While it's tough to curb the urge to upgrade, throwing old devices away isn't the only option. Recently, a team of researchers found a clever way to give those old phones a new lease of life, offering a smarter path forward for both users and the environment.

A team at the University of Tartu has found a way to turn discarded smartphones into small underwater data centres. Each one costs only about eight euros (approx Rs.7...