Top tips on the circular economy for phones

Sustainability is at the core of all our initiatives at giffgaff. We were never the ones to follow the traditional path, so over the years we’ve been making conscious efforts to give back in our own unique ways. Last year, on Black Friday we launched a refurbished pop-up shopwhere nothing was for sale and people pledged to choose refurbished over new. On this year’s biggest sales day, we’ve gone a step further and are propagating the message of a circular economy for phones through our campaign and products.

What is a circular economy?

The term ‘circular economy’ is increasingly becoming popular in the current climate but for those of you who are not aware, a circular economy is about creating a circular loop so that there is reduced wastage and all products have a longer shelf life. Reusing, recycling, and refurbishing form the three important components of a circular economy. At giffgaff, we’ve introduced our own circular phone model where you can Recycle, Refurbish & Gift for good. Our aim is to put unused handsets back into circulation by creating a circular economy of phones.

So, what are the benefits of a circular economy?

Apart from giving a new lease of life to old products, practising a circular way of life has substantial social and environmental impact. The circular economy helps with:

• Choosing a more sustainable option
• Reducing pressure on the environment
• Not creating waste pollution and carbon emissions
• Giving new life to old products by refurbishing them thereby increasing their long term value

Our community members are equally passionate about taking the message of sustainability forward, so here are some top tips on implementing the circular economy in your daily life.

Tip 1 : Hold on to your smartphones

“Hang on to the smartphones for longer, rather than always being seduced by the latest technology” - ip633, giffgaff member

Tip 2: Follow the 4 Rs

“On a personal basis, the old mantra of Reuse, Recycle, Reduce and Repurpose comes to mind for all material things we have or intend to acquire.” - endorphin, giffgaff member

Tip 3: Ask your extended circle if they want your old items

“My tip is to ask the family or extend your old items to friends or put them on social media or neighbourhood websites so that they can get reused” - keithctaylor, giffgaff member

Tip 4: Use electric or hybrid cars

“When we use electric and hybrid cars, the battery remains the property of the motor manufacturers and we the car owners only buy the rest of it, so those super batteries don’t end up discarded like so many other smaller ones do.”- muddy, giffgaff member

Tip 5: Donate your old items

“I either donate my old clothes to charity shops or sell higher value items to give them a second life. Also, for tech devices: smartphones, smartwatches and fitness trackers, whenever I get a new one, I always sell my old model so someone can use my old device for a heavily discounted price.”- jeff_elephant, giffgaff member

We hope you found these tips useful. If you would like to buy a refurbished phone, recycle your old phone or donate to charities after selling your phone with us, then do check out our ‘Check Your Drawers’ page here.