Deutsche Telekom, which used to own T-Mobile in the Netherlands and is the parent company of all T-Mobile branches, has posted an interview with Steffen Wasmus. He is recognised for his focus on the company’s environmental efforts. Deutsche Telekom reports that he is working on making their mobile devices more eco-friendly. He is setting environmental standards for how they’re made and what materials are used. The latter is also looking into ways that smartphone users can help with these green goals.

Wasmus suggests a simple eco-friendly practice: recycle your old phone when buying a new one. In Germany, 210 million unused phones could be recycled for valuable metals like gold, platinum, and palladium. Since manufacturing causes 80% of a phone’s lifetime emissions, it’s crucial to encourage producers to cut emissions. Deutsche Telekom aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030. Wasmus advocates for longer-lasting phones through better hardware and extended software support, reducing the need for new devices and their environmental impact.

Deutsche Telekom faces challenges in stocking used devices, with only a 10% return rate for smartphones. Wasmus highlights the need for a simple return process to encourage more returns. In Germany, collection boxes at events help increase returns. While Wasmus believes every phone is worth returning, the interview suggests Deutsche Telekom could do more to improve trade-in rates, like offering better prices and making trade-ins easier. Unlike Deutsche Telekom, Orange France has a successful trade-in program with rates above 30%, showing that effort leads to results.