RRR: REPAIR, REFURBISH, REUSE Bridging The Gap Between Sustainability & Smartphones

In 2022, with over 6.6 billion active smartphones, CO2 emissions reached 214.08 million tons, exceeding Deloitte's predicted 4.5 billion smartphones generating 146 million tons CO2e.

Manufacturing new smartphones is a major contributor to emissions. 93% of a smartphone’s lifetime carbon emissions are generated during this process, and within the first year of usage, a new phone has already accounted for 83% of its lifetime’s carbon emissions. Hence, repairing, refurbishing, and reusing smartphones, irrespective of change in ownership, is the only way to reduce

Recycling smartphones that have exhausted their reuse potential can be another way to curb e-waste production. Xiaomi alone slashed nearly 25 tons of e-waste by recycling 1.27 lakh smartphones. However, as per 2019 data, recycling rates of electronics are only 17%. The only way forward is by extending how long a device is used.