By Susanne Togeby, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Colourbox 

Over the past ten years, people in Denmark have purchased nearly eight million mobile phones. In the same period, almost six million have been discarded or left in drawers. This means that more than half a million phones are taken out of use every year. Figures from 2024 also show that one in three of the phones we dispose of has not been repaired before being discarded. This is problematic for several reasons:

1. Loss of resources: When we scrap a mobile phone in order to buy a new one, only part of its raw materials is recycled. And when new products are manufactured, fresh resources are required – resources that are increasingly scarce.
2. Pollution: If electronic waste is recycled in countries with poor environmental protection, it can lead to significant pollution.
3. Loss of embedded carbon impact: Only around 5% of the CO₂ emissions are recovered when materials from discarded mobile phones are recycled. In other words, 95% of the CO₂ emitted during the extraction of materials and the production of a mobile phone is lost.

Repair is a form of societal preparedness

The figures are compiled in a newly published analysis carried out by Michael Søgaard Jørgensen from Aalborg University. He conducts research in circular economy with a focus on product lifetime.

“In light of the current discussion about shortages of critical raw materials, the significant loss of resources from mobile phones is problematic. It increases the risk of shortages of raw materials for complex products such as wind turbines, solar panels and batteries,” says Michael Søgaard Jørgensen.

He believes that, as a society and as individuals, we need to become much better at repairing electrical products, including mobile phones.

“When products last longer, we reduce the need for new raw materials. The better we take care of the materials we already have, the less vulnerable we become. In this way, repairs can be seen as a form of societal preparedness.”

Electronics must last longer and be repairable

As an explanation for why we so often replace mobile phones without attempting repair, Michael Søgaard Jørgensen points to the fact that mobile phones quickly become obsolete due to new apps and operating systems. Psychological obsolescence may also play a role. The frequent launch of new models with new features means that some consumers purchase a new phone even when their current one still works perfectly well.

In 2025, the EU introduced requirements obliging mobile phone manufacturers to offer spare parts for seven years after a model is removed from the market, and that the prices of spare parts must be reasonable and must not hinder repair. Michael Søgaard Jørgensen notes that the regulation does not require manufacturers to make spare‑part prices visible as part of the phone’s labelling. In other words, the price of spare parts does not need to be displayed when purchasing a phone.

Over the past year, Michael Søgaard Jørgensen has worked to establish an alliance in Denmark and Europe aimed at promoting longer lifetimes for electronic products. The goal is, among other things, to ensure greater durability, better repair options, and clearer information for consumers: New alliance aims to extend the lifespan of electronics in Denmark.

Translated by: Laura Johanne Schou Carlsen