How often do Lithuanians change phones?
According to the survey data, over the past year, one in seven residents of the country purchased a new mobile phone, with 14% of respondents indicating they changed their phone this year. Another 26% of respondents said they last changed their phone last year, which means that more than three out of ten Lithuanians acquired their latest device within the past two years. The largest share of respondents – as many as 40% – indicated that they changed their phone 2–3 years ago, which shows that this duration currently acts as an average phone “life cycle.” One-fifth (20%) of the survey participants admitted not having changed their phone for 4 years or more, meaning that a significant portion of the population continues to use older devices. Interestingly, the frequency of phone changes varies depending on education. Respondents with higher education much more often indicated that they changed their phone last year than other groups. This suggests that education and related income or professional activity may influence how quickly people update their technology. This indicates a fairly active rhythm of technology renewal but also raises the question of how many of these changes are truly necessary. Compared to other electronic goods, mobile phones are among the most frequently updated devices in households, which directly affects the waste streams associated with them.
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The most common reason is malfunctions, not the desire for novelty
The survey revealed that more than half – 55% of participants changed their phone due to technical problems rather than the desire to have the latest model. The most frequently cited reason was when the old phone started to freeze or work slower: 36% of all respondents said so. Another 19% of respondents changed their phone because it completely broke down, and repair was too expensive or simply not worthwhile. This means that every fifth Lithuanian, when changing their phone, actually had no other choice; the old device simply stopped working properly. On the other hand, 39% of respondents changed their phone not out of necessity but to upgrade: 16% simply wanted a newer device, 13% a more modern phone with more features, and 10% a better camera or higher performance. The remaining 6% of respondents indicated other, individual reasons unrelated to malfunctions or the desire to upgrade. These figures show that Lithuanian residents do not chase phone technologies as actively as one might think from the abundance of marketing messages. On the contrary, most users are rational and change their phone only when the old device no longer meets everyday needs. This trend could be a good sign for the environment if old phones after replacement reached proper recycling or reuse chains. However, as another part of the survey showed, this usually does not happen, as evidenced by residents’ choices about what to do with unused phones.
Most old phones just stay lying in drawers
One of the most worrying findings of the survey is that a third (33%) of respondents admitted that they simply keep their previous phone at home, even though they no longer use it. Another 24% of residents keep the old phone as a backup device, so in total more than half (57%) of unused phones physically remain at home without any further action. Sixteen percent of respondents gave the phone to a family member or another person to use, while 9% dared to sell or donate it. Only one in twelve residents (8%) handed in the old phone to an electronic waste collection point or container. Just 5% handed the phone to a new device seller in exchange for a discount. According to the survey data, respondents with the highest education sort electronic waste more responsibly, but even among them, the majority of old phones still do not reach the recycling chain. These figures mean that millions of valuable raw materials in phones, such as gold, silver, copper, and rare metals, simply lie unused in Lithuanian households instead of returning to circulation. Moreover, unused devices kept at home can pose a security risk, as they often still contain un-erased personal data. “These figures show that the biggest obstacle to managing electronic waste lies not in infrastructure but in the lack of habits. People simply do not know or forget that an old phone can be easily and safely handed over for recycling, and sometimes even get a discount for a new purchase,” says Linas Ivanauskas, head of the Electronics Distributors Association. According to him, every unused phone lying at home is a lost opportunity to reduce environmental pollution and return valuable raw materials to the economy, so the association will continue to educate the public and expand the phone collection network throughout Lithuania.
The EPA head reminds that special containers for small electronics, batteries, accumulators, and gas discharge lamp waste can be found in many of the country’s shopping centers, libraries, and various other cultural, educational, and administrative institutions. Meanwhile, the EPA team has been collecting and transporting electronic waste from homes free of charge for more than 10 years. You just need to call +370 695 55111 or register on the website.
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