Reuse and Recycle Program - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Our Reuse and Recycle Program aims to reward users for handing in their phones for the chance of a second life or, if not possible, to be recycled.
After returning old phones, you will receive a Fairphone Gift card for a future purchase in our online shop.
Here is our FAQ to support you!
Who can participate in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Where can I recycle my old phone if I’m based in a non-EU country?
What steps do I have to take to recycle my phone or give it a second life?
Will I pay for the shipping fees for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
How much will I get for handing in a phone to the Reuse and Recycle program?
How many phones can I send in one shipment to the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Can I send the phone(s) to your office to be recycled?
How are the devices I have sent being recycled?
How does the valuing of Fairphone devices in the Reuse and Recycle Program work?
Should I send in my phone if I get a €0 quote in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
How long are phone quotations valid in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Why have I received a new quotation in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
How do I get my Gift Card code delivered for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
When can I expect my gift card from the Reuse and Recycle Program?
How long are discount codes valid for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Can Fairphone Gift Cards be used for multiple purchases?
What if I do not want to receive a gift card for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
I have not received my gift card is for the Reuse and Recycle Program. When can I expect it?
How long will you keep my data (such as bank details, etc.) in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Why ask me for passport or ID information for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
What do you do with the identification data for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Can I send other electronic devices, such as tablets or an audio device?
Can I send in any phone to the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Can I send an extra battery alongside a phone in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
My battery is swelling, can I send it in to the Reuse and Recycle Program?
General
Who can participate in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
The program is currently limited to EU countries where Fairphone also ships to (see all of our shipping countries here). Unfortunately, we are unable to issue shipping labels for NON-EU countries such as the UK, Switzerland and Norway.
Where can I recycle my old phone if I’m based in a non-EU country?
If you are currently based in a non-EU country, we recommend you to recycle your old device locally.
- If you are based in the UK you can find your local councils recycling info here.
- If you are based in Switzerland you can find your local recycling point here.
- If you are based in Oslo-Norway you can find your local recycling point here. If you are based in a different municipality, we recommend checking their local website.
What steps do I have to take to recycle my phone or give it a second life?
Simply provide your phone information (brand, model and condition) via our website form and you will immediately see the value you could receive if you send it back. This is subject to validation of the condition of the device by our service partner. Consider, as well, that the initial offer is valid for 28 days, once the device is received after this time, the value for a device is subject to change.
Once you have registered your recycling request, we will email you a shipping label to send the phone back free of charge. Then we will email you again once your phone has been received and processed. You will receive a final email with your Fairphone Gift Card that you can use in our online shop on any product you like.
Will I pay for the shipping fees for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
You don't have to pay for the shipping fees. Even if your phone is only for recycling, we will take your phone for free if it is in our list.
How much will I get for handing in a phone to the Reuse and Recycle program?
It depends on your phone’s brand, model and condition. You will receive this value as a Fairphone Gift Card, valid for any of the products available on our online shop. Reusable phones have a market value which is notably higher than the value of a phone which can only be recycled. However, when a phone is recycled, the value lies in the materials which are recovered.
How many phones can I send in one shipment to the Reuse and Recycle Program?
You can send up to 2 phones in one shipment - which we will handle as one return. In case one has a value higher than 0, you will receive a single Fairphone Gift Card for our online shop. If you wish to send more than 2 phones, you can open multiple applications. More than 2 phones in a parcel are not accepted by our postal partner.
Consider that to be able to process your request and gift card, you are required to send both devices. If during the process you decide to not send one of the devices, this may cause an issue in our system. We advise you to create another request, or to contact our Customer Support team.
My Google account and ‘Find my Device’ are still logged in on my phone. How do I log out and deactivate them for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
We request that you sign out and erase the data when the phone is still with you. These steps are for your data protection. Additionally, the phone might not qualify for the program if a Factory reset protection is triggered.
To sign out your Google account, follow the instructions in this link. After this, do a Factory reset. The phone will be fully wiped, and will deactivate ‘Find my Device’.
If you sent the phone with ‘Find my Device’ still on, follow the instructions in this link to erase your phone remotely. If you simply wish to remotely remove your Google account from the phone, follow the instructions in this link.
My AppleID and ‘Find my iPhone’ are still logged in on my phone. How do I log out and deactivate them for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
We request that you sign out and erase the data when the phone is still with you. These steps are for your data protection. Additionally, the phone might not qualify for the program if a Factory reset protection is triggered.
If you have an iPhone, use this handy article by Apple on how to prepare your phone for a trade-in, which includes remote instructions.
I cannot find the IMEI1 number on the phone(s). Can I still recycle in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
No. If you are unable to find the IMEI number(s), we are unable to accept the phone(s) for recycling. This is due to security and legal requirements. Instead, we encourage you to recycle your old phone(s) via an electronic waste point local to you. If you do not know where to find it, please consult your municipality website.
Can I send the phone(s) to your office to be recycled?
No, unfortunately. You will need to send the phone(s) to our dedicated recycling center via the program. We cannot accept phones at our head office in Amsterdam. If you are not able to send your phone(s) via the program, we encourage you to recycle via an electronic waste point local to you.
How are the devices I have sent being recycled?
Fairphone is all about finding cool ways to reuse, repurpose and at last recycle all the devices we collect. Right now, Fairphone 1 and Fairphone 2 are being sent to different organizations that repurpose our devices in different industrial solutions. Fairphone 3 serves as our main device to recall spare parts which will be reused in our repair processes. Other branded devices are either remanufactured and sold in the secondary market, or (our zero value devices) are recycled by our recycling partner to extract materials like plastic, aluminum, and others, which can be potentially sold to other companies in different industries.
Quotations
How does the valuing of Fairphone devices in the Reuse and Recycle Program work?
At Fairphone, we believe in rewarding customers who wish to extend the life of their Fairphone. As we want to ensure the devices we receive will actually find a new application, our Reuse and Recycle Program offers buyback prices which reflect their value in our operations. While we wish we could give every device a second life, the reality is that unfortunately, we cannot. If your device is beyond repair and cannot be repurposed (heavily damaged, non-functional or simply too old), we are unable to offer any monetary value since it can only be recycled.
Should I send in my phone if I get a €0 quote in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
If you find yourself with a device that falls into this category of zero monetary value, we encourage you to consider local recycling options. Doing so avoids the carbon emissions of shipping a single device to our recycling partner. While we're happy to assist in the recycling process, please note that no gift card will be provided for devices with zero monetary value.
How long are phone quotations valid in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
If the phone is received at the Service Center after 28 days or not in the condition in which it was described, you will be contacted by email with a new quotation. Should you accept this new quotation by email, then the phone quotation is valid for 28 days.
Why have I received a new quotation in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
A new quotation happens when the declared condition of the device is not verified by our recycling partner during their inspection of the device. This means the phone has a new value. Additionally, a quotation is valid for 28 days, if we receive your device outside the deadline, you might face a different price set by our recycling partner.
In both cases, you can accept or reject the new quotation. As soon as this is done the process will resume. When accepting the new quotation, you will receive a Fairphone Gift Card with the value of the new quotation. When rejected, we will ship the device back to you, this will be handled free of charge.
Gift Cards
How do I get my Gift Card code delivered for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Once we receive and validate your phone, we will send you the Gift Card code by email.
When can I expect my gift card from the Reuse and Recycle Program?
The usual wait is 1-2 weeks after sending your phone in the post. If 2 weeks have passed, you can contact our Customer Support team to look into this for you. In case you have received a second quotation after the physical assessment of your device, once you accept the final quotation, you will receive a Fairphone Gift Card code within 24 hours via email. Check your spam folder in case you did not receive anything in your mail inbox.
How long are discount codes valid for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Fairphone Gift cards are valid for a period of 36 months (3 years) from the date of issue. They do not cover shipment costs.
Can Fairphone Gift Cards be used for multiple purchases?
Yes they can be used for multiple purchases! You do not need to use the full value at one time, offering you greater flexibility.
What if I do not want to receive a gift card for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Our system is a gift card system. If you do not wish to receive a gift card, you can recycle your phone(s) via an electronic waste point local to you. If you do not know where to find it, please consult your municipality website.
I have not received my gift card is for the Reuse and Recycle Program. When can I expect it?
The usual wait is 1-2 weeks after sending your phone in the post. If 2 weeks have passed, you can contact our Customer Support to look into this for you.
Personal Data
How long will you keep my data (such as bank details, etc.) in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
We will keep your data that you provided when registering, for 7 years, which is the legal minimum. The devices you send in, should have no personal data on them. We require a factory reset to be done before you send them in. All SIM cards or SD cards will be destroyed upon arrival and the phone will be returned to its factory settings if that has not been done yet.
Why ask me for passport or ID information for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
It’s a legal requirement in the Netherlands, where Fairphone’s head office is registered, to have identification information for any recycled phones as an anti-fraud measure.
What do you do with the identification data for the Reuse and Recycle Program?
It is a legal requirement to record all phones to be recycled at our local government registry office. These records are kept for 5-7 years and aren’t shared with police or any other authority. We will not use this data for marketing, profiling, or any other purpose other than the identification data legally required.
Restrictions
Can I send other electronic devices, such as tablets or an audio device?
No, you can send only phones that our service partner supports for a second life.
Can I send in any phone to the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Our partner does not accept all types of phone. You can only send the battery already inside the phone(s) you are recycling. We do not accept separate old batteries.
Can I send an extra battery alongside a phone in the Reuse and Recycle Program?
Batteries are unsafe to ship as they are a fire hazard. Please discard the lithium-ion battery as soon as possible via your local small chemical waste program. At a suitable, local electronic waste collection facility, you can recycle used modules, spare parts, accessories and all other electronic devices responsibly. If you do not know where to locally recycle batteries or electronics, please consult your municipality or government website.
My battery is swelling, can I send it in to the Reuse and Recycle Program?
No, we don’t accept batteries that are swelling. They are unsafe to ship as well as a fire hazard. If a bloated battery is shipped, the sender will be liable. Please discard the lithium-ion battery as soon as possible via your local small chemical waste program - you can check the website of your municipality for options.
My phone has been in the ocean for two weeks and after a night dive, I found it again. Can I send it in?
Yes, you can send it in but expect that the phone will have no value. Also, remember it is important to remove the Google account or the Apple ID account.
However, since we cannot give it a second life, it is more environmentally friendly to recycle it locally rather than shipping it to our service centre located in France.
If after reading the article you need more help, contact our Customer Support.