Closing the loop on smartphone recycling while protecting your privacy

The first mobile phones were designed to be solely communication tools. Over time, technology has advanced and transformed how mobile phones are used today. Smartphones today also serve as our wallet, camera, planner and diary. They carry a lot of personal data, which poses a problem that deters many from recycling their mobile phones.

Yet, it is genuinely a waste not to recycle mobile phones. Mobile phones contain precious materials such as cobalt, nickel and palladium. These raw materials are exhaustible. In the absence of sustainability, these resources will be depleted by 2050, compromising future generations’ access to modern technology.

ZAURUS is a mobile phone disposal service in Japan that aims to solve that problem. They provide a convenient, safe and affordable solution to the management of e-waste. ZAURUS counters concerns about personal data security with a streamlined process for disposal. Customers do not have to worry about data leakage because mobile phones are disposed of via shredding, which will be done in front of them. A certificate will also be issued after each disposal.

Subsequently, urban mining is conducted on the shredded materials. It is a process to recover recyclable raw materials to produce new products. This circular economy framework is a cost-efficient method to manage the demand for finite resources. Urban mining has evolved to become a cheaper option to extract mental than classic mining. In some cases, urban mining is the only way to attain rare metals that are no longer available.

Up until recently, nothing was done to electronic waste; they were simply thrown out. Hence, there is an abundance of electronics still waiting to be recovered. This pool of unrecovered resources, via urban mining, will support classic mining to meet the rising demand for electronics.

Currently, ZAURUS’ services are only available in Tokyo. The company hopes to expand its services nationwide, serving as a bridge for people to lead a sustainable lifestyle that contributes to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).