50 years after Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, declared Moore's Law that dictates the evolution of processing capacity, it continues to apply. With this evolution new possibilities arise, new smartphones, new apps and the user upgrades their smartphone to a newer and superior model. However, given this positive scenario of evolution, the problem of accumulating electronic waste (from the English original: e-waste) stands in opposition. This waste is often stored and constitutes a danger to public health and the future of humanity, which is why Forall Phones defends a sustainability policy, which thinks about future generations.
The volume of e-waste is estimated to grow by 8% each year, making now the best time to act. Recent data shows that, on average, each person has 1.28 unused smartphones at home that they would like to sell. Furthermore, this same study concluded that 30% of people do not know how to recycle old smartphones. [1], [2]
By selling a cell phone that has been displayed on a large surface and that would otherwise never have a real owner and would be sent to a landfill or, ideally, a recycling center, Forall Phones is giving a second life to this equipment. After all, it remains in perfect condition for use and allows the customer to save up to 40% of the market value. For customers who wish to sell their old equipment, Forall Phones has a trade-in program in which, taking into account the condition of the smartphone, it is sold for a certain price.
Environmental Impact
It is undesirable for a smartphone to end up in a trash bin, since Beryllium, Cobalt and Lead, present in batteries, do not degrade and are highly toxic.[3] It is not just the environment that suffers, there is also a proven increase in the incidence of cancer in populations living close to these areas. For example, one Cadmium battery is enough to pollute 60,000 liters of water.[3], [4]
In addition to the negative impact on the environment, it is also necessary to take into account that the resources that make up a smartphone are finite. According to a study published in the specialized magazine, a smartphone contains more than 40 scarce elements, including copper, cobalt, gold, platinum, indium, ruthenium. As an example, although the amount of copper that makes up a smartphone is tiny, it is important to take into account that there are currently more than 6 billion cell phones and this tiny amount becomes gigantic.
The Future
Worldwide, Forall Phones still has a long way to go, after all, 1.5 billion smartphones are sold per year. [4] Regular customers leave their old smartphones on a shelf and, after a while, put them in the trash. In fact, globally, electronic equipment represents 70% of the electronic waste in a landfill. But, step by step, it is possible to make a difference, and Forall Phones is developing a green initiative in partnership with ICNF in which, for every smartphone sold, 10 trees will be planted in Mata de Leiria. Find out more about this green initiative here: https://forallphones.com/blogs/blog/forall-phones-alia-se-ao-icnf-para-reflorestacao-do-pinhal-de-leiria
References:
[1] comparemymobile.com
[2] recode.net - The model for recycling our old smartphones is actually causing massive pollution
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4858409/
[4] statista.com
