GSMA Mobile Phone Lifecycles Report

In 2006 GSMA estimated that about 896 million mobile phones were sold, about 50% of these were replacement phones, and about 1 in 10 new customers used a 'used' phone. We also estimated that more than 20 million phones would be collected for reuse or recycling; those that could not be repaired composed less than 0.003% of the total annual weight of the waste electronic equipment. Typically, more than 70% of a mobile phone can be recycled and design innovations by manufacturers are eliminating the use of hazardous materials in new phones.

Industry led take-back schemes have existed in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the USA since the late 1990s and predate legislative requirements. In 2006, GSMA found that there were provisions for collection of used phones in at least 40 countries, including several in Africa and Latin America, and by June 2008 this had increased to at least 85.

When it comes to mobile phone take-back, refurbishment and reuse is the environmentally preferred solution to recycling, as it extends the life of the product. On average more than 70% of collected handsets from developed countries can be refurbished and most are sold in developing countries at prices that can vary significantly, an indicative range is US$30-40.

GSMA believes that more needs to be done by all stakeholders. Governments can ensure that regulatory approaches are proportionate; reward good practice, avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and tackle dumping of waste electronic equipment in countries without the necessary recycling infrastructure. Each of us can ensure we return old mobile phones through recognised take-back schemes rather than throwing them away.