We want to make the most of the materials used in consumer electronics.
We believe in a world with a closed loop; a future where e-waste is reduced thanks to long-lasting products which are continuously reused and recycled. Once resources enter our economic system, they should be kept at their highest value for as long as possible and freed for new applications once a product cannot be repaired anymore. We’re moving one step closer to a circular economy by encouraging the reuse and repair of our phones, researching electronics recycling options and reducing electronic waste worldwide.
Every year, consumers discard millions of mobile phones, and we’re constantly encouraged to upgrade our devices. Many of these phones are recycled under dangerous working conditions or end up in landfills in countries lacking a proper recycling infrastructure. In Europe, only between 12-15% are estimated to be properly recycled. The rest lies forgotten in a drawer, never even getting the chance to be reused or recycled.
We believe in a circular economy that is not only closing the loop for materials but that is inclusive and also contributes to the livelihoods of those in need.
Therefore we encourage our customers to return their old devices in Europe and partner with organizations that collect e-waste in African countries without a responsible recycling infrastructure.
We encourage European consumers to return their old devices.
In 2020 we set ourselves the target of compensating for at least 14% of our phones sold, by collecting old devices through our EU recycling service. We exceeded this goal by reaching 18%. For 2021 our goal is to collect the equivalent amount of at least 45% of the phones we sell.
We recover e-waste in countries that lack recycling infrastructure.
We shipped 5 tons of batteries from Nigeria and 1500 phones for responsible recycling to Europe in 2020.
With the help of our community and partners, we’re finding creative ways to maximize the value of the resources used in phones. Watch our video about our recycling collaboration with vanPlestik.
Reusing and recycling our old phones plays an important role in saving valuable resources and lowering our environmental footprint.
So in 2021, we’re doubling down on supporting you to give your old phones a new life. Our improved recycling service has been launched and we look forward giving your old phone a new life – or recycle it if it cannot be reused.
Beyond that, we are integrating recycled materials into our Fairphones. More on that in our Fair Materials section >>
The fight against e-waste is a long and complex one – but by working with our customers and partners, we’re slowly modeling a more circular industry.
We launched our recycling program to do our part to reduce electronic waste, and we’re looking forward to your participation
Start recyclingWe turned the most problematic waste stream in tech into commercial, societal and environmental value. The business case for African scrap battery recycling is now proven – and ready to be scaled.
Check out the projectFor this study, Fairphone partnered with MacDermid Alpha and Anthesis. The goal of the research was to examine the main hotspots for tin recycling across the entire supply chain.
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