Electronic waste is a reality and people have been trying to fight it for several years. The measures can be simple, but very effective, as has been seen. Now, a coalition of several operators and the GSMA want to recycle 5 billion abandoned phones.
A GSMA partnered with 12 operators to give a new life to the 5 billion abandoned phones on the planet. He wants to take advantage of this equipment and recycle most of the noble metals and other materials present. The list of operators is as follows: BT Group, Globe Telecom, GO Malta, Iliad, KDDI, NOS, Orange, Proximus, Safaricom, Singtel, Tele2 and Telefonica.
The plan to be applied has been defined and is based on two measures that are expected to be fully complied with by the operators. This is expected to help reduce the electronic waste that is generated every year around the world, as a refurbished phone can have 87% less climate impact than a new device.
- Increase the return of “idle” phones – Firstly, these twelve operators have pledged that, by 2030, the number of used mobile devices collected through their take-back programs will be at least 20% of the total number of new equipment sold directly to customers.
BUT: E-waste accumulated in 2021 weighs more than the Great Wall of China
- Promote recovery and prevent devices from going to landfill or incineration – Likewise, these twelve operators have also committed that, by 2030, 100% of the used terminals collected through their recovery plans will be repaired, reused or transferred to controlled recycling organizations.
The GSMA estimates that the 5 billion currently inactive phones could recover $8 billion worth of gold, palladium, silver, copper and other critical minerals. They will still be able to produce enough cobalt to supply 10 million batteries.
