GSMA expands circular economy push with new e-waste reduction services

GSMA launches new services to reduce e-waste

GSMA Industry Services has announced the launch of its new circularity offering designed to help mobile operators extend the life of devices, reduce e-waste, and recover value from existing assets[i].

The new Circularity Services product has been created in partnership with Closing the Loop, whose ‘One for One’ service links one new mobile device sold by an operator to the collection and responsible recycling of one end-of-life device, and RGX, an online marketplace for enterprise asset disposition.

Joost de Kluijver, Co-founder and CEO, Closing the Loop, said: “The GSMA is globally respected as a unifier of the mobile ecosystem, and we’re excited to work together to expand the value that our ‘One for One’ service can deliver across the industry.”[ii]

He explained: “By linking one new device sold to the collection and responsible recycling of one end-of-life phone, we help operators take practical action on waste reduction while supporting their wider circularity ambitions.”[iii]

Mobile phones are a major contributor to global e-waste (electronic waste), with an estimated 5.3 billion devices thrown away in 2022 alone[iv].

Sianne Ryder, Chief Executive Officer, Events and Industry Services, GSMA, said: “The launch of Circularity Services, together with partners Closing the Loop and RGX, marks an important step in helping operators take practical action on circularity. By bringing together solutions that support both responsible recycling and asset recovery, we are making it easier for organisations to reduce waste while unlocking greater value from existing assets.”[v]

The launch reflects growing efforts within the telecoms sector to address the mounting challenge of electronic waste and recover valuable materials locked inside discarded devices.

Mounting issue of e-waste

E-waste is a significant and growing problem. The most recent edition of the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor, uncovered the staggering volume of electronics being disposed of annually. Its study found that in 2022, e-waste reached 62 million tonnes, an increase of 82% since records were first started in 2010, equivalent in weight to more than 220 Empire State buildings (365,000 tonnes each).

Concerningly, just 22.3% of this waste was recorded as having been formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner. Additionally, the UN found that while formal collection and recycling grew from 8 billion kg in 2010 to 13.8 billion kg in 2022 (an average rate of 0.5 billion kg per year), e-waste generation has been growing by an average of 2.3 billion kg per annum. This means that e-waste generation is outpacing recycling by a factor of almost 5[vi].

Within e-waste streams sit valuable secondary materials and precious metals known as CRMs (Critical Raw Materials). CRMs include many strategically important materials such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. However, despite being critical components in many modern technologies such as smartphones, batteries, and clean technologies, they are largely lost during collection and waste processing at present. The UN’s most recent research estimates that $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources remain unaccounted for and pose increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide[vii].

In Europe, data from the FutuRaM project[viii], released in June, found that the region is sitting on an ‘urban mine’ of precious metals and minerals. It revealed that by 2050, waste recovery systems could help Europe reclaim between 4.1 and 5.7 million tonnes of CRMs[ix].

In the UK, Material Focus reports that more than 880 million items are stored in UK homes, rather than being recycled[x], and over 100,000 tonnes of electricals are still thrown into landfill each year. It is estimated that this urban mine of electricals could be worth £1 billion by applying circular models and recovering the materials contained within.