After a device refresh, old phones, tablets and laptops often sit in a cupboard, then go to recycling while they still work. That is a missed opportunity, because most of a device's impact comes from making it.

In short: the world generated 62 billion kg of e-waste in 2022, and less than a quarter of it was documented as properly recycled (Global E-waste Monitor 2024). For a smartphone or a laptop, manufacturing accounts for most of the carbon footprint, so keeping a device in use longer is the most direct lever. Everlink buys back company fleets, including broken devices, erases the data with a certificate, tracks every unit by IMEI or serial number, and puts devices back into use or recovers them for parts.

E-waste is outgrowing recycling

According to The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 published by UNITAR and the ITU, the world produced 62 billion kg of e-waste in 2022, or 7.8 kg per person. Only 22.3% of that mass was documented as properly collected and recycled, according to the ITU press release of March 2024, leaving USD 62 billion of recoverable resources unaccounted for. The same monitor projects 82 billion kg by 2030, while the documented recycling rate is expected to fall to 20%.

Eurostat reports that the EU collected 11.6 kg of waste electrical and electronic equipment per inhabitant in 2023, a collection rate of 37.5% against a legal target of 65% in force since 2019.

For Switzerland, the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (data: OECD) lists 23.4 kg of e-waste generated per person in 2022. On the collection side, the Swico and SENS recycling systems processed about 144,000 tonnes of equipment in 2025, and Swico alone took back 11.6 million devices (Fachbericht 2026). The two sources measure different things and should not be combined.

ScopeKey figureYearSource
World62 billion kg of e-waste generated, 7.8 kg per person2022UNITAR and ITU, Global E-waste Monitor 2024
World22.3% documented as properly collected and recycled2022ITU, press release, 2024
World82 billion kg projected, recycling rate falling to 20%2030 (projection)UNITAR and ITU, Global E-waste Monitor 2024
EU11.6 kg collected per inhabitant; 37.5% collection rate against a 65% target2023Eurostat
Switzerland204 million kg generated, 23.4 kg per person2022UNITAR and ITU, Global E-waste Monitor 2024, Annex 2
SwitzerlandAbout 144,000 tonnes processed by Swico and SENS; 11.6 million devices taken back by Swico2025SENS and Swico, Fachbericht 2026

Most of the footprint is in manufacturing

According to Apple's iPhone 16 Product Environmental Report (September 2024, manufacturer data), a 128 GB iPhone 16 accounts for 56 kg CO2e over its life, 80% of which comes from production. Apple's M4 MacBook Air Product Environmental Report (March 2025, manufacturer data) gives 155 kg CO2e for the 15-inch 512 GB model, 71% of it from production.

A device that stays in use avoids the impact of making a new one. A study by the French environment agency ADEME with Arcep (synthesis published in 2022, in French) found that choosing a refurbished smartphone instead of a new one avoids up to 87% of the annual climate impact, measured per functional unit of "owning and using a device for one year". For a laptop, the reduction ranges from 43% to 97% depending on the indicator.

The European Environmental Bureau calculated in 2019 that extending the life of every smartphone in the EU by one year would save 2.1 Mt of CO2 a year by 2030 (Coolproducts report, 2019).

Reuse first, recycle second

Switzerland has a solid safety net for devices at the end of their life. According to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Ordinance on the Return, Take-back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (VREG, or ORDEE) requires retailers, manufacturers and importers to take back, free of charge, the types of devices they sell (FOEN page, in German). Recycling has a real benefit: SENS and Swico estimate that it avoided 236,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025 (Fachbericht 2026).

A 2025 pilot run by Swico found that between 7% and 19% of the devices collected through its ReUse channel would actually have been reusable, laptops most often (Swico ReUse pilot, Fachbericht 2026, in German).

For a company, the order of priority follows: keep devices in service, pass working ones on for reuse, recover parts from broken ones, and recycle the rest.

Everlink buys back company device fleets: smartphones, tablets, computers and smartwatches, of all brands and in any condition.

  • Reuse instead of destruction. Working devices are tested, wiped and prepared for a new user.
  • Broken devices included. Faulty units go in the same batch and are recovered for parts.
  • Certified data erasure. Every device is wiped in compliance with the GDPR and the Swiss revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP), and your company receives an erasure certificate. See our guide to certified data erasure for mobile fleets.
  • Traceability by IMEI or serial number. Each unit is tracked from buyback to resale, so you know what left your company and when.
  • Supplying fleets. Everlink also supplies tested refurbished devices, so teams can be re-equipped without buying everything new.

The same approach applies whether you sell business smartphones or sell business laptops. Unlike classic disposal, the aim is to put devices back into use, as our comparison of ITAD and fleet buyback explains.

What your company gains for its CSR approach

A buyback does not replace a sustainability strategy, but it gives your CSR reporting verifiable elements:

  • A documented inventory. The list by IMEI or serial number shows which assets left the company and can be matched against your asset register. See our guide to IMEI tracking for trade-in inventories.
  • An erasure certificate. Data protection is part of responsible governance, and the certificate is evidence an auditor can check.
  • Longer device life. Devices that go back into use stay out of the e-waste stream, which is where the figures above show the largest gain. Broken units are recovered for parts rather than discarded.

The public data above explains why reuse matters; the inventory and certificate document what happened to your devices.

Frequently asked questions

Is reusing devices better than recycling them?

The figures point that way. According to Apple's own reports, production accounts for 80% of an iPhone 16's footprint and 71% of an M4 MacBook Air's, so a longer life avoids the largest share of the impact. Recycling remains essential for devices that can no longer be used.

How do we know our data is safe when devices are reused?

Every device is wiped in compliance with the GDPR and the Swiss revFADP, and your company receives an erasure certificate together with an inventory by IMEI or serial number.

Can we quote these figures in our CSR report?

Yes, citing the original source given for each one: they are public data from international bodies, agencies and manufacturers. They set out the context without measuring the impact of your own fleet. The device-level inventory you receive from Everlink can serve as a basis for your reporting.

Is free take-back under Swiss law not enough?

The free take-back duty under the VREG ensures devices are recycled properly. It does not aim to put working devices back into use, and it provides no device-by-device inventory of your fleet.

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