At T-Mobile, we’re constantly looking at ways to effectively reduce the waste we generate and responsibly dispose of the rest, while also providing opportunities for our customers and employees to do the same.

Managing waste with our net-zero goal in mind.

Embracing a circular economy will remain a priority, as will our focus on extending the useful life of equipment and devices. The better we can reduce and responsibly manage our waste, the closer we’ll be to achieving our net-zero goal.

Hands holding a seedling in dirt with a compost pile in the background

Our waste streams.

We are committed to diverting as much of our waste from landfills as possible through recycling, composting, avoidance, and digitization.

Across our corporate offices, approximately 95% offer recycling and 57% offer composting (based on square footage of office space).

T-Mobile technician climbing a cell tower with mountains in the background

Our network.

Every piece of equipment that keeps us connected contains precious metals, glass, or other raw materials that can be recovered, repaired, and redeployed.

In 2023, we repaired 8% of materials for reuse across our business, recycled 79%, and resold 13% to vendors for reuse.

Putting more life into device lifecycles.

We’re constantly looking for opportunities to extend the life of the devices that keep us all connected. From design and packaging to distribution and end of life, we look for ways to reduce waste and improve the longevity of device products, accessories, and materials.

2023 Highlights

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

93%

of the wireless handset models we offered to customers were certified through UL ECOLOGO and EPEAT.

PACKAGING

0% plastic

used for the T-Mobile REVVL 6x device packaging, which also contained 100% recycled cardboard.

END OF LIFE

10M

devices collected to be reused, resold, or recycled through T-Mobile Device Reuse and Recycling Program.

END OF LIFE

320K+ lbs

of product diverted from landfill through our Accessories Recycling Program.

You can help us help our planet.

Recycling your devices, accessories, and their packaging can have a substantial impact on our world.

Since cell phones contain precious metals, recycling not only conserves these materials, but also reduces emissions.

Making new products from recycled materials uses less energy than sourcing new materials.

For every one million devices we recycle, 35,284 lbs. of copper, 772 lbs. of silver, 75 lbs. of gold, and 33 lbs. of palladium can be recovered.

Millions of cell phones end up in landfills or are disposed of improperly, posing potential harm to the environment.

Recycling your device is easy.

Have a device you want to unload or trade in? We’ve got you covered. We deliver you the latest mobile tech that fits your budget while doing our part to protect the planet by providing sustainable device disposal options.

Get your device recycle-ready.

Protect your info.

Here are a few pro tips to follow before bringing or sending in a device for recycling:

Transfer or back up your address book, photos, messages and other stored information, then erase all content from your device.
Disable the activation lock, anti-theft and/or find your device settings.
Restore the device factory settings on your device. For instructions on how to do this, check your owner’s manual, the manufacturers’ website, or T-Mobile’s device support page, and follow the instructions for deleting all personal information on your wireless device.
Turn off power.
Remove the SIM card (found in some GSM, 4G, and 5G devices). If you’re unsure if your device has one, contact your provider for more information..

Our certified electronics recycling partner automatically “wipes clean” more than 200 types of personal user content, including: pictures, contacts, call history, e-mails, text messages, appointments, cookies and history, videos, and tasks. However, T-Mobile and our recycler don’t guarantee the security of any confidential data stored in the electronic products you recycle.

Our standards.

T-Mobile handles various types of devices and batteries. Federal and state laws regulate how batteries and devices are recycled. The T-Mobile recycling program complies with those laws and gives consumers a way to properly and safely recycle these items. T-Mobile requires suppliers and partners that repair and recycle these devices to be certified to the industry leading R2 standard, which provides a common set of processes, safety measures and documentation requirements. R2 is rigorously and independently audited, emphasizing quality, safety and transparency, including any devices exported for refurbishment and recycling. Recyclables include handsets, chargers, accessories, nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, lithium-ion batteries, small sealed lead acid (SSLA) batteries and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

Recycling. Repurposing. Re-energizing our future.