Envirofone has partnered with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to connect mobile device trade-ins with wildlife conservation. Under the initiative, at least 5% of the value generated from each eligible trade-in will be donated to ZSL’s gorilla conservation programmes, giving consumers an additional reason to return old phones, tablets and laptops rather than leaving them unused or sending them to waste.

The initiative highlights an often-overlooked link between consumer electronics and biodiversity. Smartphones rely on minerals and other raw materials whose extraction can place pressure on ecosystems, including regions that are important habitats for gorillas. By encouraging consumers to return existing devices, trade-in programmes can help increase reuse and recycling while reducing the need for additional resource extraction.

For the circular economy, the value of the scheme goes beyond the donation itself. Devices returned through trade-in channels can be assessed, refurbished and resold where possible, keeping products and the materials they contain in circulation for longer. This helps reduce electronic waste while creating an additional economic value from technology that might otherwise sit unused in consumers’ homes.

The partnership also demonstrates how circular business models can generate wider environmental benefits. Connecting the resale and refurbishment of electronics with conservation gives consumers a tangible reason to participate in device take-back schemes, while showing how the mobile industry can contribute to both resource efficiency and biodiversity protection.