WHAT DO I DO WITH MY USED PHONE? THE SUSTAINABILITY IN ICT IN CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract

Smartphones have become part of our everyday life. But what to do with our old device when we want a new one? Everyone will deal with this question differently and this paper aims to present the most used approaches and the reasoning behind them as well as pros and cons of each approach. The study is done by using an analysis of research conducted by the Czech Statistical Office on the topic of sustainability in ICT on respondents over the age of 16 in 4.5 million households. The results can help smartphone companies understand how their products are disposed of once replaced by another model and help us understand the effects and potential risks this might have on our environment. The targeted research area is the Czech Republic. By comparing age categories, we get the results that the most common option is to keep the old phone at home if the new one breaks, this option was chosen by 46,9 % of respondents. Other favorite options are sending it for recycling which chose 17,5 % or selling it with the results being 14,9 %.