Page 59 from: August 2013
59August 2013
to the recycled metals and material composi-
tion have yet to be published.
The 2500 collection points that participated in
the take-back initiative collected a total of 68 800
mobile phones, 8% of which were refurbished
and sold into the following markets: Western
Europe (20%); Eastern Europe (5%); Asia
(50%); Dubai (10%); and Africa (15%). The
remaining 92% of the mobile phones collected
were recycled. The average market value of a
refurbished mobile phone was Euro 12.85
(US$ 16.73) whereas the recycled handsets
(devices without batteries) had an average mar-
ket value of Euro 1.09 (US$ 1.42).
Lifespan differences
The 1800 different devices from more than 150
producers yielded the following additional
information:
• Total lifetime
The devices had dates of manufacture ranging
from 1994 to 2012. Total average lifespan of the
devices was 8.64 years; recycled devices were
found to have an average lifespan of 8.91 years
while for refurbished devices the figure was
5.76 years. However, the total lifetime provides
no information about the period of use. The
oldest refurbished device was manufactured in
2001. As regards lifespan, there were also dif-
ferences between the producers: for instance,
the average lifetime of a recycled Nokia device
was 9.27 years, with 6.24 years for a refurbished
one; for an Apple device, the respective figures
were 3.74 years and 3.49 years.
• Weight
Average weight was found to be 105 grams
for a recycled mobile phone and 100 grams
for a refurbished one. The weight of mobile
phones was decreasing up until 2003, since
when the average weight has been less than
100 grams.
• Type of battery
The batteries in the collected mobile phones
revealed that nickel metal hydride versions
have been less important since 2002; by that
year, lithium ion had become the dominant
technology, with a minor proportion based on
lithium polymer technology. Owing to a lack
of information, further analysis of lithium ion
battery types was not possible (see Figure 1).
• Number of cameras
Cameras were first incorporated into mobile
phones in 2002, since when the number of
mobile phones with at least one camera has
risen rapidly. There is also a small market for
mobile phones with two cameras.
• Display type
Among the collected phones, the main display
types were monochrome, LCD, TN and TFT.
Monochrome displays dominated those
mobile phones made in the period to 2001.
From 2001 to 2003, monochrome displays
went into decline and have been disappearing
ever since. A transition period began in 2001
when LCD technology was integrated more
frequently leading up to 2003. In 2002, there
was constant use of TN displays while TFT
displays dominate at present. Phones with
AMOLED and OLED displays were also col-
lected, although these were not considered
because of the small quantities (see Figure 2).
Changing material composition
Analysis of weight, type of battery, number of
cameras and display type in relation to total
lifespan demonstrates the history of innovation
in mobile phones and the rapid transition in
2002. As a result of these developments, mate-
rial composition has changed – to include the
intensified use of new, functional materials and
trace metals exemplified by the semiconductor
industry. Taking into account the analysis of
average lifetimes, this functional transition will
confront tomorrow’s recycling industry with
new challenges.
In addition, these data were fed into a Geo-
graphical Information System to analyse spatial
disparities in the criteria mentioned above. This
led to the mapping of the participation quota,
the total number of collected mobile phones
and the individual totals for recycled and refur-
bished devices, the marketability of refurbished
devices and the lifetime of the mobile phones,
with the major finding being a spatially com-
prehensive and uniform distribution. There are
no areas such as cities that should receive more
or less attention when it comes to collections.
For mobile devices, the future collection poten-
tial of rural areas is equivalent to that of places
with high-density populations.
Nevertheless, the findings of this research rep-
resent a snapshot of a dynamic system; they are
not static and are valid only for the present.
Oliver Gantner is chair of resource strategy
at the University of Augsburg in Germany.
He can be contacted by email at:
[email protected]
TFT TN LCD Monochrome
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
300
200
100
0
Display types of the collected
mobile phones
Average weight of the collected
mobile phones in grams
Types of collected batteries
NiMh Lithium ion Lithium Polymer
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
2
0
1
2
TFT TN LCD Monochrome
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
300
200
100
0
Display types of the collected
mobile phones
Average weight of the collected
mobile phones in grams
Types of collected batteries
NiMh Lithium ion Lithium Polymer
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
2
0
1
2
1
TFT TN LCD Monochrome
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
100
0
300
200
100
0
Display types of the collected
mobile phones
Average weight of the collected
mobile phones in grams
Types of collected batteries
NiMh Lithium ion Lithium Polymer
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
1
2
0
1
2
2
RI-6_Phone collection.indd 59 01-08-13 11:44
