A closer look at hidden handsets

We first calculated the number of mobiles in each country – both active handsets and those that have been shelved, meaning they are no longer used but haven't been recycled or discarded. We looked at the share of second-hand models in daily use and the total volume of idle devices that could be resold or recycled.

We then examined how people dispose of phones: the proportion gifted or sold on, the e-waste created when devices are thrown away incorrectly, and the recycling and reuse rate through municipal schemes or retailer take-back programmes.

The analysis also models potential environmental savings if every shelved phone were processed responsibly. That includes avoided CO₂ emissions from manufacturing equivalent handsets, the kilos of lead, arsenic and mercury kept out of soil, and the recoverable value of precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium and copper. Finally, we include each country's overall municipal recycling rate to gauge wider waste habits.

The Mobile Phone E-Waste Index compares the estimated total number of mobile phones across 27 countries – both active devices and those tucked away. Throughout, “shelved” refers to handsets that are out of use but have not left the home.

The index covers 24 European nations plus the USA, Canada and New Zealand for a global benchmark. The study used consistent, publicly available datasets for each country alongside findings from a bespoke household survey.

Envirofone did not commission this research; we are sharing the independent findings to highlight the scale of unused devices and the potential impact of recycling or reuse.

The data columns in the index are:

• Mobile Phones in Use (per Capita)
• % of Second-Hand Mobile Phones (per Household*)
• Shelved Mobile Phones (per Capita)
• Total Shelved Mobile Phones (Million)
• % of Households* Selling/Gifting Used Mobile Phones
• Total E-Waste (Tonnes)
• Mobile Phone Recycling & Reuse Rate (%)
• CO₂ (Tonnes)
• Toxicity Averted (Kg)
• Sales Value of Metals Saved (Million $)
• National Recycling Rate (%)

By default, the index ranks countries by shelved mobiles per capita from highest to lowest. The methodology for each data point is outlined below.

Waste Over Time model

To estimate the number of phones in each market, including unused stock that remains in homes, the study applied the “Waste over time” model from E-Waste statistics - guidelines on classification reporting and indicators by Van Straalen et al. This uses European import, export and manufacturing data to assess the number of phones placed on the market, then applies product lifetimes to model both end-of-life disposal and the remaining stock of devices.

The outputs were combined with responses from a tailored household survey that asked about used and shelved phones.

Source: Van Straalen, V.M, Roskam, A.J., & Baldé, C.P. (2016). Waste over Time [computer software]. The Hague, The Netherlands: Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Retrieved from: http://github.com/Statistics-Netherlands/ewaste

Mobile Phones in Use (per Capita)

The total number of phones currently being used per inhabitant. A weighted average draws on the number of mobile contracts per capita, the stock of smartphones per person multiplied by the share of shelved phones from the survey (for EU members), and the survey's own estimate of phones in use.

Sources: Van Straalen et al. “Waste over time”; theglobaleconomy.com; household survey.

% of Second-Hand Mobile Phones (per Household*)

The proportion of handsets in use that were bought or received second-hand. The figure is modelled from the household survey and reflects the share of used smartphones in households.

Source: rebuy household survey.

Shelved Mobile Phones (per Capita)

The number of unused phones per inhabitant that have not yet been disposed of. It combines estimates of smartphone stock multiplied by the survey's share of unused devices with the survey's own reported unused smartphones.

Sources: Van Straalen et al. “Waste over time”; rebuy household survey.

Total Shelved Mobile Phones (Million)

The total volume of unused phones still kept in households, expressed in millions. This multiplies unused units per inhabitant by the population.

Sources: Van Straalen et al. “Waste over time”; rebuy household survey.

% of Households* Selling/Gifting Used Mobile Phones

The percentage of households that pass on their used phone by selling it into the second-hand market or giving it away outside the home. The value is derived from the household survey model, counting households that disposed of a phone and did so by selling or gifting it.

Sources: rebuy household survey.

Total E-Waste (Tonnes)

The total tonnage of e-waste generated by phone disposal each year. It is calculated by multiplying the number of handsets disposed of annually by the average e-waste weight per phone, drawing on both the “Waste over time” model and survey results.

Sources: Van Straalen et al. (2016).

Mobile Phone Recycling & Reuse Rate (%)

The share of discarded phones that enter a recycling or reuse stream, including municipal electronics recycling and return-to-reseller schemes. It blends official telecommunications e-waste figures with survey data on phones sent for recycling or reuse.

Sources: rebuy household survey.

CO₂ (Tonnes)

The CO₂ emissions that would be required to produce an equivalent number of unused mobile phones in each country. The per-device emission assumption comes from the e-waste Calculator by e-Stewards.

Sources: e-Stewards.

Toxicity Averted (KG)

The combined weight of lead, arsenic and mercury contained in unused smartphones, based on per-phone figures from the e-Stewards eWaste Calculator.

Sources: e-Stewards.

Sales Value of Metals Saved (Million $)

The recoverable market value of gold, silver, platinum, palladium and copper in shelved phones. Metal content assumptions come from the e-Stewards calculator, with 2019 market prices provided by BGR.

Sources: e-Stewards; BGR Preismonitor.

National Recycling Rate (%)

The proportion of municipal waste that is recycled or composted in each country, offering a broader view of recycling habits.

Sources: OECD - Municipal waste, Generation and Treatment Database.

An online survey across all 27 countries ran from 7–21 October 2020. Participants were asked about the devices in their homes, how those devices were acquired, and the methods used to discard phones during the previous 12 months.

The key questions were:

1. How many mobile phones are currently not in use in your household? Count working devices that are no longer used, as well as broken ones not yet repaired or disposed of.
2. How many mobile phones are currently in use in your household? To qualify as “in use”, the phone must have been used at least once in the last three years and not been replaced by another handset.
3. How many mobile phones that are in use in your household are second-hand phones purchased or gifted from outside the household?
4. Have you disposed of a mobile phone in the last 12 months? Response options included returning it to the seller, taking it to a shop or city collection point, arranging a pick-up, selling it, gifting it outside the household, throwing it away in general waste or plastic recycling, or not remembering the disposal method.

A model based on household size and geographic subregion was applied to the survey results and combined with country-level household data to produce representative values for each country. Values marked with * in the table derive from this survey.