The Mobile Phone: Powerful Communicator and Potential Metal Dissipator

Abstract

This article attempts to briefly evaluate the significance of mobile phones in the modern information and communication society. Furthermore, it shows the substantial success of the mobile phone industry in recent years by evaluating the increase in overall sales figures and the degree of mobile phone penetration in different societies. The study looks at the different materials, in particular rare metals, used in mobile phones. The dissipation of these materials is discussed as a consequence of the life cycle of mobile phones, especially of the after-use phase. It is claimed that the dissipation and irretrievable loss of these materials could pose a severe risk to the industry. Moreover, we conclude that under the prevailing economic practices, the scarcity of strategic metals used for very specific purposes – often in small but critical amounts – could lead to shortage conflicts and economic drawbacks.