These 14 countries have more idle cell phones than people

We all have an old phone at the bottom of a drawer that we keep “just in case”, when our current smartphone breaks or is lost, when we travel while buying a SIM card from a foreigner, or simply because we tell ourselves that it can always be used again. But over time, even though we regularly replace smartphones with newer and higher-tech models, old phones accumulate and pollute the planet. Because if they are not properly recycled, these unused devices constitute e-waste.

Buying used smartphones is becoming more common, popularized by sites like BackMarket in France. But while consumers tend to be more environmentally conscious when shopping, they don’t necessarily apply this newfound environmental awareness to past items tucked away in a corner of the house. A study conducted by reBuy, a German company specializing in the purchase and repair of electronic devices, compared the e-waste of mobile phones from 27 countries, including 24 countries in Europe.

Conclusion: “In some countries, there are more phones that are discarded and thrown away than there are people living at home.” Most of the time, these smartphones are still in working condition and therefore can be easily repaired and resold. To estimate the number of unused and unrecycled phones, reBuy conducted a household survey in 27 study countries between October 7 and October 21, 2020.

Here are the 14 countries with the most unused but still discarded phones per capita, according to ReBuy research:

14. Ireland — 1.01 unused cell phones per person

In total, there are 4.9 million unused mobile phones in Ireland that have yet to be thrown away.

13. Germany — 1.02 unused cell phones per person

In total, there are 84.7 million unused but still undiscarded cell phones in Germany.

12. Italy — 1.05 unused cell phones per person

In total, there are 63.4 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Italy.

11. France — 1.08 unused cell phones per person

In total, France has 72.8 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones.

10. Slovenia — 1.10 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 2.3 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Slovenia.

9. Romania — 1.13 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 21.9 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Romania.

8. Austria — 1.17 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 10.4 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Austria.

7. Denmark — 1.19 unused cell phones per person

In total, Denmark has 6.9 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones.

6. Portugal — 1.19 unused cell phones per person

In total, there are 12.2 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Portugal.

5. Great Britain — 1.24 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 83.1 million unused mobile phones in the UK that have yet to be thrown away.

3 closed. Estonia — 1.24 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 1.6 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Estonia.

3 closed. Lithuania — 1.24 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 3.4 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Lithuania.

2. Finland — 1.29 unused mobile phones per person

In total, there are 7.1 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Finland.

1. Sweden — 1.31 unused cell phones per person

In total, there are 13.5 million unused but still undiscarded mobile phones in Sweden.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider France