The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) report says repairing and refurbishing mobile devices can reduce e-waste and reduce emissions with 80-90 per cent lower carbon emissions than manufacturing new devices.
The report said mobile operators already pursuing circularity strategies include Telefonica, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and KDDI, whilst Samsung, Apple and Fairphone were among the device manufacturers greening their supply chains and the eco-design of their devices.
The report released ahead of the Mobile World Conference to be held in Spain, Barcelona from March 3 to March 6, 2025, noted that governments worldwide were increasingly introducing policies to encourage circularity.
The new European Union regulations on eco-design requirements related to repair and reuse, durability and recycling will come into force later this year.
It said emerging policies and strategies in the United States of America, Canada, Brazil and India were also promoting repair and reuse, reinforcing a long-term sustainability vision centred on circularity.
The report showed that circularity was no longer just an environmental imperative but a major business opportunity.
The growing market for refurbished devices and repair services, which is projected to exceed $150 billion globally by 2027, offers new revenue streams for both manufacturers and operators.
It said making durable and repairable devices fostered customer satisfaction and loyalty, strengthened the brand image and resonates with environmentally conscious consumers and investors.
It said beyond financial gains, circularity strengthened local economies, reduced reliance on mining and imports expanded digital access and created new economic job opportunities.
The report said the potential was not limited to phones themselves; GSMA recently developed an online marketplace for mobile operators to resell and reuse network equipment, which was now being used by more than 40 operators, delivering both financial and carbon savings for the industry.
It said with the average mobile phone user having more than one old phone sitting unused at home, the report estimates there were around 5-10 billion dormant devices worldwide, containing 100,000 tonnes of copper, 7 million ounces of gold, and a million ounces of palladium worth around $20 billion.
“Given the growing strategic importance of critical minerals, old phones and electronics are becoming an important source of materials in many countries,” it said.
In 2024, over 1.2 billion new smartphones were sold, generating over 60 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions from manufacturing – equivalent to the annual carbon output of countries such as Morocco or Romania.
According to the UN, e-waste generates annual external costs of $78 billion for both people and the environment.
GNA
