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Antoinette van der Merwe1,2

Prof. Dr. Isabel Günther1,2

1. Chair of Development Economics, ETH Zurich2. Institute of Science, Technology and Policy, ETH Zurich

24.10.2019Antoinette van der Merwe 1

Mobile Phone Recycling in Switzerland: A Potential Gold Mine?

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§ Rich sources of minerals

§ Extended a survey to more

2500 representative people in

Switzerland, to understand

1. How old are our phones?

2. Why do we replace them?

3. What do we do with old phones?

4. Why do we keep old phones?

24.10.2019Antoinette van der Merwe 2

Overview and Introduction

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How old are our phones?

Keep longer Replace quicker

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Why do we replace phones?

2%

7%

7%

20%

39%

15%

8%

Stolen or Lost

New phone contract

Gift

Wanted a new one

Broke

Software incompatable

Too slow

Why did people replace their old phone?

More likely to want a new one

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What do we do with old phones?

2%4%

10%

15% 16%

53%

I do not know Sold it Recycled it Gave it to myserviceprovider

Gave it awayor donated it

Its still athome

Responsible users are relatively random

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Why do we keep old phones?

I use it for another sim card or without a simcard

10%

My (grand-) children play with it7%

I keep it as a replacement or emergency phone

41%I save pictures or data on it5%

I am afraid my data will get misused if I get rid of it

7%

I collect it or keep it for sentimental reasons

8%

I do not know22%

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Why do people not recycle?

Not knowledge:

Not sentiment:

Not data:

90% know where to recycle

Only 8% is sentimental

Only 7% is worried about data

Not money:

y = 2x - 61

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

30 40 50 60 70 80P

rice

for o

ld m

obile

pho

nes

in C

HF

Percentage of people who would accept offer

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§ Why do people not recycle?§ Not knowledge§ Not sentiment§ Not too worried about data§ Probably not money

§ Maybe inertia?§ Current experiment: What if we make it very easy to recycle? § Impact of different messages on recycling

24.10.2019Antoinette van der Merwe 8

Conclusions