According to a report released by the GSM Association (GSMA), as mobile phone adoption continues to rise in Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African nations, they are poised to confront an imminent challenge associated with electronic waste, or e-waste. The report, titled 'Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa,' projects that Sub-Saharan Africa is set to have a collective total of 1 billion active feature phone and smartphone connections by the conclusion of 2023, with an additional 200 million new devices anticipated by the end of 2027.
The mounting number of devices is a cause for concern in terms of the escalating e-waste and the increased consumption of natural resources in the region. Nigeria, boasting over 220 million connected mobile subscriptions as of August 2023, is expected to lead in mobile e-waste production, surpassing other African countries.
While developed nations have established comprehensive e-waste management systems, many African countries are trailing behind in this regard. GSMA emphasizes that the technical lifespan of a mobile device currently ranges from four to seven years, but the average usage period is approximately three years. This highlights that one of the major impediments to waste reduction lies in consumer behavior.
To tackle this challenge, GSMA underscores the importance of incentivizing consumers. However, accomplishing this task can be complex, influenced by factors such as affordability, access to information, social norms, and personal preferences. GSMA suggests that governments and industry stakeholders must play pivotal roles. One potential approach is to establish new channels and suppliers for collecting, refurbishing, and reselling devices, while simultaneously educating consumers and conducting awareness campaigns on sustainability. Operators and other ecosystem players in Sub-Saharan Africa are already taking proactive steps in this direction, initiating efforts to promote circularity in mobile phones and other digital devices.
Furthermore, GSMA reports that device ecosystem participants in Sub-Saharan Africa are integrating the circular economy concept into device manufacturing. This involves producing phones with extended lifespans, employing recyclable and recycled materials, and incorporating renewable energy into the production process. These practices contribute to a reduction in the number of discarded devices, advancing the industry's progress toward sustainability.
In November 2022, the European Chemical Society identified 30 elements commonly used in smartphones. Among these, 11 were recognized as elements with limited availability, posing risks to future supply. Additionally, the unsustainable use of seven elements employed in smartphones could present serious risks over the next century.
GSMA estimates that a refurbished phone can have an 87% lower climate impact compared to a newly manufactured phone. Proper recycling of 5 billion mobile phones could yield valuable resources such as gold, palladium, silver, copper, rare earth elements, and critical minerals, along with sufficient cobalt for 10 million electric car batteries, estimated to be worth $8 billion.
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