Reuse – refurbishment, new destinations and collection

Collected phones must first be evaluated to determine those most likely to be suitable for reuse. These phones will then be subject to a series of tests to determine suitability for reuse with or without further repair. The testing equipment and procedures are similar to those in manufacturer repair centres. Faulty parts will be replaced, batteries evaluated or exchanged and the phone’s appearance reconditioned. Particular care is needed to ensure that replacement batteries have proper internal safety circuits. All original customer information is securely erased and the refurbished phone must meet all regulatory requirements. These steps are labour intensive and in some cases the work is done in lower cost economies using internationally accepted health and environmental controls. Finally the refurbished phone will be packaged for resale along with a battery, charger, and instructions. Any residual materials arising during the refurbishment process should be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

The price of a refurbished phone will vary significantly, depending upon the model type, its age and appearance. The extent of any guarantee offered by the refurbisher is another key factor. Indicative prices for one scheme are in the range of US$30-40.

If a mobile phone is returned by a consumer and sent to a company where it may be refurbished, then it may be sold for reuse. This is generally the preferred option in the environmental management hierarchy as it extends the life of the same product. However, there are concerns over the disposal of mobile phones in developing countries. One issue is the risk of phones being discarded in countries that lack the necessary recycling infrastructure for end-of-life electronic equipment. A study in Romania found that most would give away or sell their old handset, or keep it as a spare. Importantly, very few people said they would just throw the old phone away.

More than 20% of mobile subscribers live in the developing world. In countries without a strong tradition of recycling, unless there is substantial investment in education, awareness raising and infrastructure, the number of intact phones returned is likely to be small. The informal repair sector tries to reuse phone parts as spares and only components that are no longer usable may be available for collection. In developing countries without a strong tradition of recycling, unless there is substantial investment in education, awareness raising and infrastructure, the number of intact phones returned is likely to be small. The informal repair sector tries to reuse phone parts as spares and only components that are no longer usable may be available for collection.

To identify ways to increase capacity for recycling used mobile phones in developing countries, Vodafone commissioned research in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa, which revealed that there is little awareness of the problems of electronic waste in Africa. As a result. As a result a pilot recycling programme was run in Kenya in 2007/08 with support from Forum for the Future. In terms of findings, together with development NGO Practical Action, the pilot collected 350kg of waste phones and parts from 64 mobile repair shops over a three-month period. On average, the pilot collected half a kilogram (kg) of waste per week from each repairer. Nearly a quarter of the waste collected was phone casings, 22% batteries and 20% chargers.