Cobalt from 5 billion phones will be enough for 10 million car batteries
The non-profit organization GSM Association (GSMA) said that the world has accumulated more than five billion mobile phones that are no longer in use. They want to send them for recycling.
12 leading operators from around the world (BT Group, Globe Telecom, GO Malta, Iliad, KDDI, NOS, Orange, Proximus, Safaricom, Singtel, Tele2 and Telefonica) have signed up to a new plan developed in conjunction with the GSM Association. Some of the items in this plan are listed below.
Operators are committed to increasing the acceptance of old phones for trade-in. By 2030, the number of used mobile devices collected through carrier return schemes will account for at least 20% of the number of new smartphones purchased by customers.
Billions of unwanted phones want to be recycled to get 50 thousand tons of copper
By 2030, 100% of used mobile devices collected under operator take-back schemes will be repaired, reused or given to controlled recycling organizations.
This will reduce e-waste, extend the life of mobile devices, and provide materials for use in new smartphones. Refurbishing a phone has 87% less climate impact than building a new phone.
The GSMA estimates that $8 billion worth of gold, palladium, silver, copper, rare earths and other essential minerals could be recovered from five billion mobile phones if properly recycled, as well as enough cobalt for 10 million electric vehicle batteries. These phones are estimated to contain 50,000 tons of copper, 500 tons of silver and 100 tons of gold.
