Fairphone – Designed for circularity and built to last 

Fairphone is a smartphone manufacturer which puts people and the planet at the core of its activities. Since electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams globally, Fairphone works towards an electronics industry in which materials and products are used at their highest value for as long as possible, leading to higher resource efficiency and lower environmental impacts of electronics. This means that after stretching the first usage time to its limit, Fairphone products and their modules are given a second life whenever possible. 

The primary environmental impact of a small electronic device is caused by the energy and material used in its production phase. The production phase of Fairphone 5, for example, accounts for 78% of its total carbon footprint. The implication is clear: to reduce negative impacts like global warming and resource use, reduce the number of phones produced by offering products designed to last longer.  

Therefore, Fairphone challenges the traditional business model with its unique modular design, allowing for simpler repairs and part reuse, as well as long-term software support (8 to 10 years for the Fairphone 5) and extended warranties. Repairing a device and using it for longer is far better for the environment than replacing it completely. For example, replacing a cracked screen on a Fairphone 5 versus buying a new phone saves 24kg CO₂e, which is equal to driving 122 km in a gasoline car. Fairphone encourages and enables Do It Yourself (DIY) repair, which is the fastest and cheapest for the user. We offer reasonably priced spare parts, free repair information), and assistance through Fairphone’s website, community pages and dedicated customer support. Once a user replaces their phone, they can hand in their device to our reuse and recycle program where Fairphones either get refurbished or disassembled to reuse their parts as spare parts in our repair centre – preventing additional material use and emissions through reduced need for newly produced spare parts. 

On top, Fairphone 5 is designed to accommodate the highest percentage of recycled materials of all smartphones on the market (status Nov. 2025).