Sustainable Electronics
Overproduction in the mobile phone industry
Ronald Wilting, CEO of Forefront RF, discusses the causes, the impacts, and the need for sustainable solutions
Photo by Rami al Zayat on Unsplash T
he mobile phone industry is booming. Around two thirds of the world’s population have a smartphone and/or tablet and that number is accelerating as our digital dependency grows. However, whilst these portable devices are rapidly becoming the preferred touchpoint for accessing the Internet, it is becoming much more difficult to ignore the well-publicised data pertaining to the detrimental impact they are having on the environment and climate change. In 2022, smartphones were estimated to have generated in excess of 142 million tonnes of C02 equivalent emissions, predominantly from the manufacturing, shipping, and first year usage of new devices. Moreover, the problem is exacerbated by the need for multiple model variants of a single product, depending on geographical location, mobile network operator specifications and services required, resulting in overproduction and supply chain waste. The UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report found that
54 May 2024
e-waste destined to be scrapped increased by 21 per cent to 53.6 million tonnes in just five years. Closer to home, the BBC reported that 5.3 billion devices were destined for landfill in 2022. To make matters worse, much of this e-waste is often exported to developing countries whose populations are experiencing the devastating effects of the pollution that contaminates their health and the local environment. With less than 20 per cent of e-waste recycled currently, overproduction in smartphone manufacture needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Causes of overproduction A primary cause of overproduction is the complexity of demand forecasting, amplified since 5G was launched and the need for more spectrum to be made available as a result. Spectrum allocation has also become increasingly fragmented, with a proliferation of new frequency bands, many of which are restricted to certain territories. Today’s smartphones must support all operational
Components in Electronics
services (3G, 4G and 5G) and the OEMs must cater to global network operator requirements. The introduction of more frequency bands has had a direct impact on the number of variants needed per phone model, complicating demand predictions and resulting in excess production. As frequency band allocations intensify to meet market demand, there is a greater risk of model variants becoming obsolete and ultimately being scrapped.
Market dynamics are another contributing factor. The average smartphone contract is two to three years. Even though mobile phones have much longer shelf-lives, brand loyal customers are accustomed to upgrading to the latest models because of the advanced features introduced. This culturally ingrained belief that we need to regularly upgrade to the latest handset versions generates colossal amounts of e-waste, most of which ends up being burnt or in landfill because the costs of scrapping versus the costs of recycling are
hugely disproportionate. Combine these factors with rapid smartphone proliferation in emerging markets, not least because they provide remote communities with a vital lifeline to the outside world, and overproduction is set to intensify.
Impacts of overproduction Around 80 per cent of the carbon footprint of a smartphone occurs during production because of the energy-intensive processes of manufacturing and mining. Moreover, the average smartphone comprises 75 out of the 81 stable non- radioactive elements of the periodic table. Whilst silicon and plastic account for around 50 per cent of a phone’s make-up, precious metals are also in abundance, with gold, silver, and copper integral to circuit board PCB wiring. Not only does the extraction of these metals pose serious threats to natural ecosystems, but the percentage of usable material also obtained versus
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