MacPaw survey finds green concerns may drive file cleanups
MacPaw has released an Earth Day report on how Mac users manage digital clutter and cloud storage. The study surveyed 1,000 Mac users in the US.
The findings suggest environmental awareness could influence how often people delete files stored online. Among respondents who use cloud storage, 71.7% said they would clean out old files more often if they understood the environmental cost, while 84.3% said that information would help them decide what to keep or delete.
Nearly one in three respondents, or 31.1%, said they would clean much more often if they knew more about the impact. The report presents that response as evidence that file management may be shaped not only by device limits and convenience, but also by how clearly users understand the wider effects of storing data.
Cloud storage was already common among those surveyed: 96.1% said they store files in the cloud at least sometimes, underlining how routine remote storage has become for many Mac users.
The report also examined the emotional side of digital file build-up. More than 3 in 5 respondents, or 61.1%, said they feel stressed or concerned when their storage starts running low, while 81% said cleaning up their digital space brings relief and mental clarity.
That sense of pressure appears alongside everyday habits that add to file build-up. More than half of respondents said they leave many browser tabs open, save files to the desktop for later, or take screenshots they rarely revisit.
When asked why files remain undeleted, 39.2% said they keep unnecessary files because they might need them someday. Another 29% said fear of deleting something important was their main barrier to cleaning up.
Those figures point to hesitation rather than neglect as a driver of digital clutter. The study identified fear of deleting the wrong file as the biggest obstacle to regular cleanup.
Energy Use
MacPaw placed those habits in the context of the energy used to store data. According to the report, storing 1 TB of data in the cloud for a year uses roughly 40-70 kWh of electricity, while data centres worldwide consume hundreds of terawatt-hours each year.
The company argues that this physical dimension remains abstract for many users because digital files do not occupy visible space in the same way physical possessions do. That disconnect, the report suggests, may help explain why people delay tidying their digital storage until they run low on space.
"What this report makes clear is that digital clutter does not feel physical, even though it has a real-world footprint," said Yuliia Chuzha, Head of Brand Marketing at MacPaw.
"For many users, cleanup only becomes urgent when storage runs low. But our findings suggest that environmental awareness could create that motivation earlier, before digital clutter becomes a bigger burden for users and a heavier load on the systems that store it," Chuzha said.
Routine Habits
The research also looked at whether people would be willing to act if digital maintenance felt simple. When asked what they would choose for a 20-minute reset, 55.5% selected a digital cleanup task if it were easy and streamlined.
That finding suggests there may be room for software makers and platform operators to frame file deletion and storage management as part of ordinary digital hygiene, rather than a task reserved for moments when devices are almost full. It also points to a broader trend in consumer technology, where routine maintenance is increasingly tied to wellbeing and sustainability messaging.
MacPaw, founded in Kyiv and with offices in Boston and the EU, is best known for software aimed at Mac users. Its main product for system maintenance is CleanMyMac.
The report links digital maintenance with day-to-day behaviour and peace of mind. Its central finding is that users may be more willing to delete old files if they better understand the environmental cost of leaving them in the cloud.