According to a report from China Electronic Equipment Technology Development and Utilization Association and environmental protection organisation, the smartphone recycling rate is less than 2% in China. People are not recycling their electronic products, claims the ‘China Waste Electronics Products Circular Economy Report’.
In contrast with gold mining, the report cites that electronics product mining is more economical. On average, every ton of used smartphones carries 270 grams of gold rather than 10 grams in primary gold mining. The cost of extracting gold from electronic boards is 20%-65% lower, and the quality of the gold content is higher than the native gold mining.
Smartphone recycling is a profitable sector and impacts positively on the environment. The report predicts that China can garner 130 billion Yuan if they improve the recycling rate to 85% by 2030. It will save 30 billion kWh of energy compared to mining raw ore, and carbon emissions will also reduce by ten thousand tons. This much carbon emission is equivalent to 26,000 Boeing 747-400 round trips from Beijing to New York.
Improved recycling rate will lead to a self-sustainable smartphone market and will accelerate the circular economy model. It is only possible if producers, brands, governments and other parties start investing and adopt an ecological model.
Recycling should be an essential aspect among smartphone manufacturers, and governments should also amend some laws to facilitate recycling.
