GSMA Launches New Recycling Services to Reduce E-Waste

GSMA Industry Services has launched a new Circularity Services offering designed to help mobile operators and ecosystem partners extend the life of devices, reduce e-waste, and unlock greater value from existing assets.

Partnerships to Accelerate Circularity

The initiative launches in partnership with Closing the Loop, a recycling firm, and RGX, an online marketplace for enterprise asset disposition. According to Sianne Ryder, Chief Executive Officer, Events and Industry Services at GSMA, the launch marks an important step in helping operators take practical action on circularity.

Ryder added that by bringing together solutions that support both responsible recycling and asset recovery, the organization is making it easier for companies to reduce waste while unlocking greater value from existing assets.

GSMA notes that through these partnerships, operators can access proven services that help accelerate their circularity ambitions and respond to growing demand for more sustainable approaches to device lifecycle management.

Device Recovery and Asset Management

The Circularity Services offering provides access to trusted partners and proven solutions that support the recovery, reuse, refurbishment, and responsible recycling of ICT assets. This approach helps organizations deliver on customer needs, reduce costs, and generate value from equipment that might otherwise sit idle.

GSMA emphasizes that circular approaches are both more sustainable and deliver meaningful operational and commercial benefits for the industry.

A specific component of the service is the ‘One for One’ program, which provides a practical and measurable way for organizations to incorporate circularity into their device propositions. Vodafone, Samsung, and T-Mobile have successfully used the customer-centric program for devices sold in Europe, while Google is a global user.

This model leads to electronic waste reduction around the world and has created positive impact in countries where formal waste collection and recycling infrastructure is often limited. Closing the Loop is an award-winning social enterprise, supported by UNIDO, UNEP and GIZ.

RGX on the other hand helps organizations manage enterprise asset disposition and e-waste more efficiently through a trusted, transparent marketplace. By working together, the partners aim to help operators recover value from redundant equipment, support responsible recycling practices, and turn circularity ambitions into action.

Addressing another aspect of the challenge, RGX provides a neutral, online marketplace for e-waste management and enterprise asset disposition. The service connects organizations with service providers through a single automated platform designed to help businesses optimize returns from redundant devices and equipment through competitive bidding and effective resource management, while ensuring responsible disposal practices.

Initially available in the United States, the offering is expected to expand internationally over time. While the current framework focuses on established markets, the infrastructure being built now will likely define how mobile operators handle hardware disposal globally in the coming years.