How environmentally friendly is a refurbished iPhone really?
A refurbished iPhone saves around 40 to 65 kilograms of CO₂ and nearly 77 kilograms of raw materials per year of use compared with a new device, according to calculations. We explain where the figures in the Apple environmental reports and the ADEME study come from, and what their limitations are.
What’s behind the environmental figures for refurbished iPhones?
Buying a used smartphone is good for the environment. You’ve probably heard that many times before. But let’s be honest: terms like “emissions over the entire life cycle” are hard for most people to picture in everyday life. It seems like a new model comes out every year, and the temptation to upgrade is strong. We want to make these abstract figures tangible and show you what choosing a refurbished device actually means. That’s why, from now on, you can also view the environmental figures in a new section on each product page. They’re based on the Product Environmental Reports, the environmental reports that Apple publishes for each iPhone model, as well as the study “Evaluation of the environmental impact of a set of refurbished products”. It was commissioned by ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition (Agence de la transition écologique).
How much CO₂ does a refurbished iPhone save?
A refurbished iPhone saves around 40 to 65 kilograms of CO₂ compared with a new device, depending on the model. This figure comes from two sources. Apple transparently breaks down how much CO₂ is generated for each iPhone from production to recycling (more precisely, CO₂ equivalents, meaning all greenhouse gases converted into CO₂). Most of it is not generated by daily charging at the outlet, but beforehand: according to Apple's environmental report, production accounts for just over 80 percent of the iPhone 13's emissions, use for around 16 percent, and transport for just 2 percent. For the lowest-storage versions of iPhones from recent years, the figure for a new device ranges roughly from 50 to 75 kilograms, depending on the model.
For a refurbished smartphone in the reference case, the ADEME study finds a roughly 87 percent reduction in climate impact because the device doesn’t have to be produced entirely from scratch. Applying this factor to manufacturers’ figures gives around 40 to 65 kilograms of CO₂. ADEME itself converts its figures into car kilometers. Using this conversion factor, 40 to 65 kilograms is equivalent to around 120 to 200 kilometers of driving.
How many raw materials does a refurbished iPhone save?
According to the ADEME study, a refurbished iPhone saves nearly 77 kilograms of raw materials per year of use, meaning each year you use the device. That’s about as much as an adult weighs. This refers to the entire ecological rucksack (technical term: MIPS): rock and ore, as well as displaced earth, water and air.
For your phone to vibrate, its battery to last all day and its display to shine brightly, it needs special, valuable metals. An iPhone weighs only around 170 grams. But manufacturing its individual components requires moving enormous amounts of earth and using vast quantities of water. The best resource extraction is the kind that never needs to happen in the first place.
How does a refurbished iPhone help reduce electronic waste?
A refurbished iPhone stays in circulation as a working device instead of becoming electronic waste. Many working phones end up unused in drawers or eventually even in the trash. By buying one, you keep functioning hardware from simply becoming electronic waste. That might not seem like much for a single device, but it adds up to a major problem when you consider many devices. When you use a used phone, the physical device stays in circulation and is used exactly as it was intended.
Your environmental impact at a glance
So you can see the difference you’re making right away when you buy, we’re now showing these facts on the product page for every device. There you’ll find a transparent environmental overview that shows exactly how much CO₂, raw materials, and electronic waste you save compared with buying new for each model. For example, for an iPhone 15 with 128 GB, you’ll immediately see that you save around 49 kilograms of CO₂ and prevent 171 grams of device material from becoming electronic waste. Under “How we calculate,” we also explain transparently how these figures are derived from official manufacturer data and the ADEME study. That way, you’ll know exactly how much of a personal contribution you’re making to our planet with every purchase.
How reliable are these figures?
These figures are model calculations, not measurements of your personal device. ADEME’s calculations are based on an average smartphone refurbished after three years and used for a further two years, using data from 2020. The Apple figures come from reports published when each model launched. We calculate our CO₂ figures by applying the study’s reduction factor to the manufacturer’s figure for your model. In addition, the benefit decreases the more parts are replaced and increases the longer you use the device afterward. So a refurbished iPhone is no free pass for an annual upgrade. You help the environment most by keeping your device for as long as it serves you well. As of October 2026.
Why do we also sell brand-new devices?
You may be wondering why you sometimes find completely new and unopened iPhones at our store. These often come from private individuals. It may have been a gift in the wrong color or with the wrong storage capacity. Some people simply changed their minds after buying one. Companies that ordered large quantities and now have surplus stock also pass these devices on to us. Buying one of these new devices from us helps the environment too. You take an unused phone out of a drawer and put it straight into active use. This prevents the hardware from remaining unused in its original packaging and avoids the need to produce another device elsewhere.
Every refurbished iPhone you use replaces one newly produced, on average. And the longer you keep it, the greater your contribution.
