Product Circularity Report Fairphone 3

Product Circularity Report Fairphone 3

The first step towards a circular economy is preserving resources and therefore promoting longevity. The Fairphone 3 aims to reach a lifespan of 5 years, which is about double the market average lifespan of smartphones. This is enabled by the modular architecture of the phone allowing for module upgrades and easy repair. The product system entails a phone and module take-back program which provides reusable or refurbished parts for repairs or input for recycling. Considering the opportunities for a positive environmental and social impact, material sources for the Fairphone 3 are chosen according to where the largest impact can be gained. The key recommendations and conclusions can be found below and this document serves as input for a dialogue to together work on these ambitions. The carbon footprint of the production of the Fairphone 3 in its current design are 30.4 kg CO2e per unit. For the purpose of this report we based our analysis on the LCA study performed by Fairphone and focused on the carbon improvements. By focusing efforts on lifetime extension and recycled content, the carbon footprint could be lowered to 20.98 kg CO2e per unit. Potentially, this could save 9,400 kg of CO2e on an annual basis based on illustrative number of 1,000 Fairphone 3 procured.