Progress in smartphone recycling is still insufficient

Under pressure due to their large environmental impact, the smartphone industry has pledged to increase its efforts to recycle and refurbish handsets.

But, at what point is the sector now and what are the prospects? Below is a review of the current situation on the occasion of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world mobile telephony congress that was held in Barcelona.

How is the industry?

After a slow start at the beginning of the 2010s, the activity has accelerated strongly in recent years, both in reconditioning (which is the repair and adaptation of used devices), and in the recycling of components (metals , rare earths, plastics…).

According to Persistence Market Research, 11% of terminals sold in the world are refurbished. A rate “lower than that of other electronic products”, although “on the rise”, thanks to the progress made in terms of collection and repair, underlines the consultant.

“More and more players are launching recycling programs, due to regulatory and consumer pressure,” adds Thomas Husson, an analyst at Forrester. “We are still at low rates, but it is starting to take off.”

For environmental associations, however, these advances are still insufficient. “Of all electronic waste, only 20% is recycled, when in reality we could recover much more,” recalls Claudia Bosch, from the Catalan NGO Setem, organizer of a “social mobile congress” held in Barcelona, ​​as a counterpoint to the mighty MWC.

Who are the main actors?

In recent years, many companies have emerged in the recycling sector, such as the Back Market resale page, from the manufacturer of “ethical” phones Fairphone, or Recommerce, specializing in second-hand devices.

And they have not been the only ones. A sign that this is a market on the rise, the smartphone giants themselves have also gotten into the refurbishment business. Thus, Apple and Samsung have promised to increase the percentage of recycled materials included in their devices and now have their own recycling subsidiaries.

“The ability to recycle smartphones has become an important issue for all manufacturers, but also for operators” telephone, insists Thomas Husson. “There are image issues at stake, each one tries to differentiate himself,” he adds.

In Barcelona, ​​the British group Vodafone announced a collaboration with Recommerce to favor the collection of old devices, while the French Orange already promised last year to increase the number of refurbished smartphones it sells in its stores from 2% to 10%. .

What are the prospects?

According to experts, the sector should experience notable growth, driven by the growing appetite of consumers for “green” products and the slowdown in innovations in the smartphone market, which increases the attractiveness of smartphone products. second hand.

The refurbished smartphone sector should grow 10% per year between now and 2027, especially in Asian markets such as India or Indonesia, according to the study office Mordor Intelligence.

An analysis also shared by Persistence Market Research, which projects a strong increase in the turnover of recycled terminals, which would jump from US$49.9 billion in 2020 to US$143.8 billion in 2031.

And the biggest obstacles?

Although the perspectives are positive, the sector must still face different obstacles, some technical, that derive from the collection of waste. For recycling to be effective, “enormous organization” is needed, emphasizes Thomas Husson.

But the main reluctance is cultural. “More and more refurbished phones are being sold with warranties. But there is always a concern among consumers, who have doubts about the quality of the product”, recalls the analyst.

Furthermore, the commercial practices of the manufacturers themselves and the operators do not favor reconditioning either.

“There is a culture of consumerism that is constantly bombarding us with new offers”, describes Claudia Bosch. “There is a lot of marketing that encourages us to throw things away.”

A paradoxical strategy if you pay attention to the environmental message sent by the giants of the sector.

“If we really care about the planet, we must bet on the durability of the product. However, this goes against the dominant economic model”, based on a “regular renewal of devices, often subsidized by the operators”, Thomas Husson stresses.