2024-08-18 18:12:13
Bulgarians between the ages of 30 and 39 most often recycle their old appliances when they buy a new one, according to Yettel research
Over half of consumers change their mobile devices every 3 years or more, and almost one in three people tend to use their mobile device until it stops working. This is indicated by data from Yettel’s survey on the habits and trends in the use of mobile technologies, conducted by the sociological agency KANTAR Bulgaria in the middle of 2024. A comparison with the results of last year’s survey of the telecom shows that the desire for longer use of the devices is increasing , and hence their life cycle.
Representatives of the younger generation – 15 to 29 years old – use their mobile phone for at least 24 months before getting a new one, while people aged 30 to 49 years prefer to keep their devices longer – about three years and more. Consumers between the ages of 50 and 56 are the least likely to buy a new smartphone, with nearly half of them choosing to replace their device only when it stops working.
The trend is similar for larger electronic devices such as laptops and TVs – on average, around 62% of people decide to replace them with new ones only when the old ones become unusable.
Greater willingness to recycle old electronic devices
For the second year in a row, Yettel reports an increase in consumer awareness that among mobile operators there are those who collect and recycle old devices. From 65% in 2022 and 76% in 2023, today their share already reaches 79%. The positive trends are also supported by people’s desire to recycle non-working equipment – 69% of those who participated in the survey declared their willingness to start doing so in the future. However, only 10% already apply this practice.
Motivated by their desire to reduce environmental pollution, but also by the possibility of additional financial incentives, nearly 84% of consumers who have returned an old device for recycling indicate that they benefited from a discount on a future purchase. One of Yettel’s programs – “Recycle and Save” gives just such an option. In exchange for handing over non-working equipment, customers of the telecom can receive preferential conditions for the purchase of selected smartphones and smart accessories. And with the introduction of an additional third year warranty for all smartphones, the operator aims to extend the life of the devices while contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection.
Bulgarians between the ages of 30 and 39 most often hand over their old equipment for recycling when they buy a new one, according to the survey data. This practice is least common among people up to 29 years old and over 50 years old, especially for mobile devices. Mobile device accessories (61%), old cables (31%) and tablets (23%) are in the top 3 of the most frequently recycled e-waste according to the survey responses, with the first two indicators showing a slight increase compared to last year .
What happens to old devices?
There are five main scenarios for electronics after they are replaced or no longer in use. It is still most common to leave electrical appliances at home as spares – on average 43% of cases, but a serious part of people are turning to alternatives in support of the circular economy. Such as re-use by a relative or loved one – in 1/3 of users, or sale on the secondary market, which represents about 25% of the responses of those who participated in the survey.
The good news is that the proportion of people recycling their unwanted devices is increasing. The difference is most noticeable in the case of tablets – almost triple growth compared to 2023 and already reaches 23%. As with mobile phones, where the difference is 6 percentage points compared to the previous year. The reverse trend – to throw away the old technique in the general waste, is present less and less. For almost all electronic devices considered, the percentage of this response decreased by between 2 and 4 points this year.
Measures to reduce the negative footprint
Consumers are taking a number of steps to reduce their negative impact on the environment. The most popular practice is deleting old files to free up space, which 63% do, and 55% unplug chargers when not in use. Just under half of the respondents show their commitment to nature protection by turning off devices with displays when they know they won’t be using them for a while.
The topics of reducing the negative impact and raising people’s awareness are among Yettel’s priorities as a company with a commitment to a sustainable future and responsible technology consumption. Part of the long-standing effort is also to promote the proper treatment of electronic devices after they are no longer in use. Over the past two years, the telco has prevented a total of 47.5 tons of e-waste from ending up in landfills on its way to achieving its 5-year goal of 127 tons of e-waste not reaching nature by 2028.