Old mobile phones: A potential gold mine

Abstract

Mobile phones are the most commonly owned and one of the most frequently replaced personal electronic devices. Most people keep their old phone at home once they replace it. Although this might seem harmless, it withholds minerals from re-entering supply chains, which constitutes a significant lost resource. We estimate that about 6.5 million unused phones are laying around in drawers in Switzer-land. Return rates of old devices for recycling remain low, despite most people saying they know where to recycle their old phones. The sale of second-hand devices also is low, even though more than half of people state that they are willing to sell their old devices for as little as CHF 5. Most people do not really know why they keep their old phones. We recommend that awareness campaigns should not only emphasise the environmental impact of e-waste but also the harm of keeping “retired” phones at home.