Billions in raw materials hidden in Europe’s old smartphones
Billions of euros worth of metals are lying unused in drawers across Europe. A new report from refurbed and Fraunhofer Austria reveals that unused smartphones in European households contain critical raw materials worth an estimated EUR 1.1 billion in total.
Across the EU, an estimated 642 million old smartphones are no longer in use — representing several million tonnes of potential secondary raw materials. About two-thirds of these devices are too outdated to be refurbished, yet their material value remains significant. According to the report, they collectively contain 5,258 tonnes of cobalt, 431 tonnes of tin, 129 tonnes of magnesium, 43 tonnes of tungsten, 1.3 tonnes of palladium and 8.6 tonnes of gold.
According to Fraunhofer, only around 10% of old smartphones in Europe are being recycled. The remaining devices either end up as e-waste, are illegally exported, or remain stored in homes collecting dust — meaning that large quantities of critical metals are effectively lost from the European market.
The research organisation describes these inactive devices as a potential resource for so-called urban mining — the recovery of raw materials from electronic waste. According to the report, one tonne of e-waste can contain more gold than a tonne of mined ore, making such recycling processes potentially more resource-efficient than traditional mining.
The report stresses that recovering these materials would not only reduce environmental impact, but also strengthen Europe’s access to critical raw materials, which are currently largely imported from conflict-affected regions.
