How the mobile industry can turn e-waste into a circularity opportunity

E-waste Recycling | 2026-11-12 01:18:48 | By Paul Ploumis

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Mobile connectivity is one of the most powerful forces reshaping society today. It has a big role to play in helping people, industry and economies thrive. Mobile technologies and services contributed $7.6 trillion of economic value to the global economy last year, a figure set to climb to almost $11.3 trillion, or 8.4% of global GDP, by the end of the decade, according to GSMA Intelligence.

But there is a downside to this growth, and the industry must sustain its ongoing efforts to tackle it.

Why circularity matters

More than 1.2 billion new smartphones were sold in 2024, and their manufacture alone emitted more than 60 million tonnes of CO2e, according to the GSMA’s “Rethinking Mobile Phones: The Business Case for Circularity”. Once used, many millions of those devices sit idle in desk drawers around the world. Many ultimately end up in landfills or are incinerated, resulting in the loss of critical minerals that could have been recycled and reused. In low-income countries, the informal treatment of e-waste is having irreversible health impacts on workers, communities and the environment.

For decision makers across the mobile ecosystem, circularity can no longer be a hygiene factor it must be a business imperative.

Most of the environmental impact associated with mobile devices stems from materials sourcing and manufacturing. That means circularity – keeping devices and their valuable materials in productive use for as long as possible – is one of the most effective levers we have. It can be pursued in three keyways: using recycled materials and renewable energy in production; extending the lifespan of devices through repair, reuse, refurbishment and better design; and by ensuring that devices which can no longer be reused are recovered and recycled responsibly, rather than discarded.

Circularity isn’t just an environmental imperative – it’s a smart financial strategy. By reselling redundant assets, companies unlock immediate revenue from equipment that would otherwise sit idle, while simultaneously clearing warehouses and reducing depreciation costs. Reusing existing devices and network assets through trusted providers further cuts capital expenditure by avoiding unnecessary new purchases. Taken together, the GSMA’s Circularity Services help operators generate new income streams, reduce operational spending, and shrink their carbon footprint — proving that sustainability and profitability can, and should, reinforce one another.

The mobile ecosystem has already launched many innovative programmes in this space and is a leading sector when it comes to net zero commitments. However, if we are to reach our goals, more must be done and it needs to be done at scale.

Two partnerships, one mission

This is why GSMA Industry Services is evolving the circularity services it provides through GSMA circularity services, with two new partnerships designed to move the dial for operators and ecosystem partners worldwide.

Recycle Global Exchange (RGX) is a digital marketplace for Enterprise Asset Disposition (EAD). By partnering with RGX, the GSMA will connect its members and wider ecosystem with local, vetted recycling firms, enabling responsible and efficient e-waste disposal. RGX marketplace helps reduce carbon footprints and delivers competitive returns through bidding and effective resource management; all managed on a single, automated end-to-end platform. Initially available in the United States, where RGX has already worked with AT&T to expand its in-store e-waste collection programme, the GSMA plans to extend the service globally in coming years. With more than 1,000 mobile operators, equipment manufacturers and ecosystem partners as membership, our partnership can bring real reach.

Closing The Loop tackles the problem from a different angle. Through its One for One service, the company collects and recycles a scrap phone every time a participating company delivers a new device to a customer. Critically, Closing The Loop collects devices in countries where formal waste collection is lacking, bringing environmental and societal benefits where they are needed most. The company has already worked with Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile, collecting and recycling scrap phones in Africa to offset new devices sold by Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile Netherlands. GSMA Industry Services will now work with the wider global mobile ecosystem to extend this offering and support operators’ circularity plans.

A shared responsibility

Achieving circularity in the mobile industry requires collective action and the GSMA is committed to helping its members navigate that journey, with practical tools, trusted partnerships and a clear focus on reducing the ecosystem’s footprint when it comes to energy usage, e-waste and precious material extraction.

Courtesy: www.rcrwireless.com