• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Blogs » Think Tank » The Smartphone Supply Cycle Has a Toxic Hole — and It's Growing

Think Tank
Think Tank RSS FeedRSS

The Smartphone Supply Cycle Has a Toxic Hole — and It's Growing

Smartphone
December 8, 2020
William Crockett Jr. , SCB Contributor

Another fall has come, and another iPhone is here.

Apple Inc.’s dependable annual release of a new smartphone is indicative of the consumer cycle we see with smartphones: 54% of consumers replace their smart devices every one to two years, and 86% say they upgrade their smartphones the most often, compared with other devices.

The broader smart-device industry and supply chain has adapted to this cycle over the years like clockwork. To be more competitive and price-sensitive to the market, manufacturers have implemented innovations and cost-cutting measures in production. Suppliers have responded to this trend as well. Precious metal suppliers now provide manufacturers a cost-effective alternative material that offers the same dependability and performance.

What many may not realize, however, is that this yearly cycle of product replacement carries very real consequences for our environment and personal health.

The Recycling Dilemma

Given the amount of precious and base metals present in smart devices, consumers theoretically should recycle their smart devices at the same rate they replace them. And while 62% of consumers say they know how to recycle their smart devices, only 16% actually do. Additionally, 26% of consumers opt to keep their devices.

This lack of recycling from consumers results in two negative effects. The first is the impact on the precious and base metals supply chain. Many of the precious and base metals used in smart devices are already recycled materials. For this supply chain to remain uninterrupted, materials need to be recycled at a consistent rate. And when consumers hang on to old devices like smartphones and laptops, the precious and base metals in those devices go to waste. This waste factor is especially true for precious metals, which have an expensive recycling process. Enough devices need to be consistently recycled by consumers for the process to be financially viable.

The second and more detrimental effect is the environmental impact. While electronics only make up 2% of the garbage in landfills, they account for 70% of landfills’ toxic waste. Many metals in smart devices also never break down in landfills and can bleed into the ground, poisoning drinking water.

The smart devices piling up in landfills are a ticking time bomb. In the next 10 years, the amount of e-waste generated in the world is expected to skyrocket by nearly 40%. If that growth continues to go unchecked, the toxic risks of e-waste will only become a greater threat.

Greater Consumer Engagement

Just because consumers say they know how to recycle their smart devices doesn’t mean the process is easy.

Type into a search “precious metal recycling near me,” and you won’t find many accessible locations. Recycling devices often requires a drive, as many providers don’t have an easy pickup system. When many consumers associate recycling with dropping bottles and cans into a bin outside their house, putting in extra effort to recycle a device can seem excessive. Additionally, when it comes to devices like laptop computers, many consumers will keep them because they don’t know what to do with the data on their hard drives.

Ultimately, smart device and electronics recycling must be an easier process — which is where industry stakeholders come in. Because of the mounting risks to our own health, the environment and supply chains, smart-device manufacturers and metal suppliers must come together to deepen consumer awareness of recycling and provide avenues for easier recycling methods.

While a joint campaign for consumer education would require major partnerships between smart-device manufacturers and precious metal suppliers, it is possible. For example, smartphone manufacturers could partner with a delivery service such as Amazon.com or UPS to offer smart device-recycling shipping that consumers can easily process and have sent to a recycling company. A retail partner such as Target or Walmart could also serve as a drop-off location for devices to be recycled. Manufacturers could further incentivize consumers by offering a store purchase credit for devices they recycle in the program.

Further education on smart device recycling benefits and consequences should also be present at every step in the smart device customer journey. Manufacturers can work with telecommunication providers to serve as a recycling resource, by advocating for one-to-one communication with customers on how they can recycle their devices and why they should recycle. Some telecom providers such as AT&T and T-Mobile already have programs like this in place, but they need to be brought to the forefront and adopted on a broader industry scale.

Smart-device manufacturers and suppliers, especially precious metal suppliers, have a chance to affect real industry change. With a joint effort on consumer recycling access and education, both parties can ensure the health of their supply chain and reduce the number of devices in landfills that put peoples’ health at risk.

William Crockett Jr. is vice president at Tanaka.

Technology Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility High-Tech/Electronics

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • A HAND TURNS A LARGE, LIGHTED DIAL WITH THE WORD RISK ON IT iStock-NicoElNino-1364371014.jpg

    Measuring KPIs and KRIs for Comprehensive Supplier Performance Management

    Technology
  • A COMPLEX SERIES OF ROADWAYS AND RAMPS, SEEN FROM HIGH ABOVE, IS PARTLY SHROUDED BY CLOUD

    Supply Chain Visibility Isn’t Just a Catchphrase; It’s an Imperative

    Logistics
  • A WOMAN IN HER LIVING ROOM GESTURES IN DISMAY ON THE PHONE OVER AN OPEN SHIPPING BOX

    Retailers – Quit Bellyaching and Differentiate Yourself on Returns

    Reverse Logistics
  • A Mid Adult Male Truck Driver Doing Exercises Before Road Trip by the side of a truck

    Podcast | Yoga for Truck Drivers? It’s a Mother Trucker!

    LTL/Truckload Services
  • A STORE WINDOW DISPLAYS AN ARRAY OF DESIGNER PURSES

    Can AI Turn the Tide Against Product Counterfeiters?

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM

Digital Edition

Scb q1 2023 cover

2023 Supply Chain Management Resource Guide: Packing for a Difficult Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

  • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

  • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

  • Expanding Apparel Brand Scales Seamlessly with E-Commerce Technology

  • How a Global LSP Scaled its Security Program and Won More Business

Visit Our Sponsors

Orderful Yang Ming Alithya
Barcoding Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics
CoEnterprise Data Capture Deposco
E2open GAINSystems Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Honeywell Intelligrated IFM
Infor Inmar Keelvar
Kinaxis Korber Lean Solutions Group 2H
Liberty SBF Locus Robotics Logility
LogistiVIEW Lucas Systems MCA Connect
MPO Nvidia Old Dominion
OpenText ORTEC Overhaul
Parsyl PMMI QIMA
Redwood Logistics Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash Saddle Creek Logistics
Schneider Dedicated Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD
Shipwell Tecsys TGW Systems
Thomson Reuters Tive Trailer Bridge
Vecna Robotics Verity
Verusen
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing