After-Life of Mobile Phones: Waste or Return to Production?

This study extends the understanding of global production network (GPN) analysis by considering the post-consumption activities of the product in question, namely mobile phones. The authors examine the production networks involved in mobile waste treatment and the employment conditions in these networks. Also, in a context where e-waste management raises questions on environmental pollution and health, they examine how far Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) operates in India. They find the post-consumption activities of mobile phones to be highly dynamic. This point is illustrated by the existence of a vibrant secondary market for mobile phones refurbished from the discarded ones, the recent trend of recycling of mobile waste, the discovery of the high value of its components, and the growing trade of mobile waste, though it is still a small component of the entire e-waste.