PIRG recommends that Google eliminate update expirations and that its manufacturing partners produce a 10 percent overstock of replacement parts, which should be more standardized across models. The organization said that doubling the lifespan of the Chromebooks sold in 2020 could cut emissions by 4.6 million tons of CO2e, equivalent to taking 900,000 cars off the road for a year. They also say that consumers should be allowed to install alternative operating systems like Linux.
In response to the report, Google said that regular Chromebook software updates add new features and improve device security every four weeks, allowing them to continuously iterate on the software experience while ensuring that older devices continue to function in a secure and reliable manner until their hardware limitations make it extremely difficult to provide updates. The company also stated that they are always working with their device manufacturing partners to build devices with post-consumer recycled and certified materials that are more repairable and use manufacturing processes that reduce emissions.
