Exploring Sustainable Pathways of Smartphones for Circular Economy in Taiwan

In Taiwan, the majority of waste mobile phones are stored at home (55.3%), while the rest are disposed of. The primary disposal method is recycling, with most recycling channels having signed cooperation agreements with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, smartphones contain rare earth metal alloys, glass, and plastics, making recycling processes time-consuming and expensive. Only a portion of the precious metals is effectively recovered during disposal. Therefore, optimizing product design and extending the lifespan of products and components are priority strategies in the smartphone circular economy. This study applies the IO-LCA (Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment) model to evaluate the economic and environmental benefits of end-of-life smartphone circular economy strategies (mobile phone refurbishment and metal recycling) under current management systems and maximum disposal potential, and examines the effectiveness of refurbishing phones of different ages. Results show that, from an economic perspective, both smartphone refurbishment and metal recycling strategies reduce total demand and increase GDP and added value. Compared to metal recycling, the phone refurbishment circular economy path has a more significant impact on various industries. Therefore, promoting the phone refurbishment industry requires attention to shifts in domestic industries. From an environmental perspective, the phone refurbishment strategy has a greater impact on human carcinogenic toxicity, acidification, and human non-carcinogenic toxicity, whereas the metal recycling path has a more significant impact on global warming and ecosystem damage. The IO-LCA model can be used to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of shifts in industry demand under end-of-life smartphone circular economy strategies, allowing policymakers to assess the effectiveness and impact of these strategies and facilitating the formulation and promotion of future policies.