The amount of mobile phones that are being reused in the UK rather than exported has increased, according to a new report.
In the report, The End of the Upgrade by Green Alliance, it shows that 43% of mobile phones are now being reused in the UK, while the figure in Europe is around three quarters.
The report looked at customers of O2 and found that SIM-only customers are now using their phones for six months longer than they were four years ago, and are responsible for nearly half the emissions of those on 24 month contracts.
Indeed, business models based on the previously typical 1.8 year upgrade cycle are looking increasingly outmoded, and so businesses will need to adapt to stay ahead of the market.
What does the circular economy mean for your business? BOOK TO ATTEND to find out
Green Alliance head of energy and resources Dustin Benton said: “Data from eight million mobile customers show that people want their phones to last longer. Rather than lament the slowing pace of upgrades, more companies should adapt to these preferences. And governments should help them: we need new rules that make sure phones are built to last, to protect consumers and the environment from the unnecessary costs of premature obsolescence.”
