Globally, the recycling and disposal of used mobile phones has become an increasingly serious problem. As one of the world's largest mobile phone markets, China produces 400 million used mobile phones every year, but the recycling rate is only 5%. This phenomenon not only reflects the challenges faced by China in promoting the trade-in policy of consumer goods, but also reveals the common problems of global e-waste disposal.
In China, the push-in policy to trade in large-scale consumer goods was aimed at stimulating the economy, but the response was not enthusiastic. The low recycling rate of used mobile phones has become a prominent problem. According to the China Association of Circular Economy, China adds 400 million new used mobile phones every year, while the stock has exceeded 2 billion. Behind these numbers, there are multiple challenges.
Mobile phone recycling encounters "roadblocks"
The proliferation of smartphones has made modern life more efficient and convenient, but with it comes the environmental risks of exponential e-waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, in 2019 alone, about 53.8 million tons of e-waste were generated globally, an increase of nearly 21% from the previous year, of which 690 million smartphones alone. The manufacturing process of mobile phones consumes a lot of energy, and if they are not properly recycled, a large number of precious and rare metal resources will be wasted, and it will also bring immeasurable harm to the ecological environment.
In Zhongguancun Science and Trade Electronic City, second-hand mobile phones for sale are placed on the merchant counter Source: Xinhuanet
As the world's largest mobile phone producer and consumer market, China adds as many as 400 million used mobile phones every year, but the recycling rate is only 5%, far below the average of 30% in developed countries. According to data from the China Association of Circular Economy, the average service life of a mobile phone is about 2.2 years, and the stock of used mobile phones has exceeded 2 billion. If these mobile phones are not properly recycled, they will cause waste of resources and environmental pollution.
In the offline store of the second-hand mobile phone recycling platform, the staff is evaluating the user's electronic products Source: Xinhuanet
The deep interest game drags down the recovery efficiency
According to the analysis of industry experts, there are three cruxes of the low recycling rate of mobile phones in China:
- Old phones are sold at a low price. The product replacement cycle is accelerating, and the endless new products on the market make the old mobile phone quickly depreciate seriously. Many consumers believe that old mobile phones can't be sold for a few dollars, so it is better to keep them for backup or idle.
- The meager profits of recycling restrict the enthusiasm of enterprises. From the perspective of enterprises, the entire mobile phone recycling process is long and the disposal cost is high, but the final profit is limited, and the capital and labor costs are difficult to earn. The initiative of recycling enterprises is not high, which will inevitably affect the overall recycling efficiency.
- There is no way to eliminate the risk of personal privacy leakage. Smartphones store a lot of personal information, and even if the phone is formatted or factory reset, consumers are still worried about their private data being stolen by criminals. Privacy concerns have become an important reason why many users refuse to hand over their old phones.
The world is working together to build a sustainable recycling system
In fact, even in developed countries that are leading in mobile phone recycling, e-waste disposal is still challenging. According to the European Commission, the recycling rate of mobile phones in its member states in 2022 was only 16%, far from the legislative target of 65%. A study of major advanced economies found that about 80% of the world's e-waste is not effectively treated, resulting in an annual loss of about 400 billion yuan (US$63 billion) of resources.
Globally, the disposal of e-waste is also a thorny issue. Europe, the United States, Russia, and other places are facing similar challenges. For example, the European Union has implemented the Electronic Equipment Recycling Directive (WEEE Directive), which requires manufacturers to be responsible for recycling and disposing of waste electronic products. E-waste recycling in the U.S. is more reliant on state regulations and nonprofit involvement. In recent years, Russia has begun to strengthen the management of e-waste and increase the recycling rate.
Industry insiders pointed out that although the current situation of recycling in the Chinese market is worrying, it is converging with international standards. The Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste, which came into effect in September 2020, provides legal support for the promotion of the recycling of electronic waste such as mobile phones. The mainland can learn from international experience, combine its own national conditions, and start from legislation, supervision, fiscal and tax incentives, scientific and technological research and development, etc., to formulate recycling standards for electronic product design, cultivate leading recycling enterprises, and guide the whole society to practice the concept of green consumption and jointly move towards the road of sustainable development.
China's low recycling rate of used mobile phones is a microcosm of the global e-waste management problem. To solve this problem, we need the joint efforts of governments, businesses and consumers. The government should set clear policies and standards, businesses should take responsibility for recycling, and consumers should raise environmental awareness and actively participate in the recycling of used mobile phones.