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Old phones can be turned into 100 000 Wedding Rings

Unused mobiles can save the environment and provide Sweden with wedding rings.

Ove Kaufeldt
Published

In Sweden, there are an estimated 25 million unused mobile phones lying around, which is a veritable goldmine. According to new calculations from Swappie, these phones contain enough gold to make the equivalent of over 100,000 wedding rings. That is more than enough to meet the needs of all couples who got married in Sweden in 2023.

But the potential goes far beyond beautiful rings. If these phones were recycled, or even better, reused, it would mean enormous environmental benefits. The production of a single smartphone generates 86 kilos of waste, according to the Swedish Environmental Institute. By utilising the materials in the unused phones, we could save over 2.15 million tonnes of waste.

"Giving an old mobile phone a new life is a simple action that makes a big difference for the environment," says Karin Armgarth, Sweden Manager at Swappie. "Even broken phones have value because the materials can be recycled and reused."

An average smartphone is used for only 2-3 years, even though it often has a lifespan of up to 7 years. The 25 million unused phones in Sweden contain a large amount of valuable materials:

  • Gold: Approximately 850 kg (enough for 106,250 wedding rings)
  • Palladium: Approximately 76 kg (enough for catalysts for over 38,000 cars)
  • Copper: Approximately 2,550 tonnes (equivalent to over 100 kilometres of wiring)
  • Aluminium: Approximately 2,550 tonnes (enough to manufacture over 150,000 bicycle frames)

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Extending the lifespan of a smartphone by just one year can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 29 percent. Swappie's analysis shows that reusing and recycling mobile phones is one of the most effective ways to reduce electronic waste.

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