Fair Trade Recycling launches a takeback offset program in Africa, and rare earth metals will increase in demand.
Offset impact: Advocates of legal exports of used electronics often point out that much of the material in crude processing sites was generated in those developing countries themselves. A new initiative from Fair Trade Recycling aims to address the issue in Ghana by offering incentives to African importers so that they also take in more end-of-life electronics from the domestic market.
Desirable materials: Demand for rare earth metals is expected to increase in the coming years due to their popular usage in electronics. FutureMarketInsights predicts the increase in recycling of these metals will slowly help offset the strained supply and reduce the environmental impact of increased mining.
Loyal consumers: Although Samsung mobile devices are including more features to compete with Apple’s products, a new survey shows Apple customers are more likely to have brand loyalty in the future. Business Insider India reports 92 percent of Apple customers plan to stick with the company for their next phone, compared with 77 percent of Samsung customers.
