The "circular economy", a concept that is becoming more and more prominent in the current Zeitgeist. In short, it's an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and facilitating the continual use of resources. A world in which we are genuinely circular is one where materials can be used, recycled and reused to their fullest extent.

There's a catch, of course: for most materials, it's quite unlikely that recycling alone will be able to meet humanity's growing demands for them, at least in the coming decades. In addition, recycling also causes waste and we lose a notable amount of materials during the process. While globally we are recycling more, there are barriers.

On the journey towards a circular economy, it is critical to assess opportunities and acknowledge the limitations. Developing a mutual understanding of the needs and requirements will ultimately drive the preservation of resources and promote longevity. This is where the KPN-led initiative of the product circularity report comes in.

We can’t keep carrying on business as usual. The future is dependent on cultivating positive relationships with businesses that take responsibility for their products and work toward a more circular and fair economy. Some may ask themselves, “why should I care?” Perhaps it’s time to flip that on its head and ask, “why shouldn’t I care?”

We sat down with two business leaders that care. Our host Miquel Ballester chats to Vianney Vaute from Backmarket and Régis Koenig from the FNAC/Darty Group, about two businesses - at very different stages - that are tackling the challenge of extending the lifespan of consumer electronics.

The conversation twists and turns, from the new "new", the importance of software for longevity, breaking free from the constraints of the established ecosystems, the french repairability index and more.

We hope you enjoy.

Closing the Loop and Fairphone have delivered a result deemed impossible by many: the most problematic waste stream in tech was turned into commercial, societal and environmental value. The business case for African scrap battery recycling is now proven - and ready to be scaled.

We sat down with the minds behind the initiative and covered a lot of ground in our conversation. If you're interested in the facts and figures of the business case for African battery recycling, head on over to our website for the white paper:

From Fairphone’s very beginnings, we’ve been investigating ways to improve the cobalt supply chain, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). And now, after years of work, we’re ready to publicly launch the Fair Cobalt Alliance!

In this podcast, the founding members of the alliance got together to discuss the initiative, its challenges, first steps and its huge potential.

More on the FCA:

This alliance brings together major industry players who want to address some of the most pressing issues in the artisanal cobalt mining sector, from child labor to hazardous working conditions and is set up to work with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government and civil society partners. This isn’t just about thought leadership – we’re an action-oriented group that drives impact by investing directly in building capacity and empowering the people working in the mines, as well as those living in the surrounding communities.

Head on over to our website for an in-depth article on the Fair Cobalt Alliance: https://frphn.co/f7GPN

Nous sommes fiers d'annoncer notre nouveau partenariat avec /e/ Foundation pour un système d'exploitation open-source qui donne la priorité au respect de la vie privée des utilisateurs.

Nous avons discutés avec le fondateur de /e/ Foundation , Gael Duval, et le directeur du marketing et des opérations, Alexis Noetinger, pour discuter de l'importance de la sécurité des données pour les utilisateurs finaux, ainsi que pour notre société!

Long before we made a single phone, Fairphone was working to better understand and improve mineral supply chains. Many years and three phones later, we’re still focusing on our mission of driving important materials projects and pioneering research that has a positive impact on how materials are sourced, used and reused – improving both environmental factors and the lives of those working with these materials.

For the third episode of our Fairtalks podcast, we sat down with two researchers from a study on artisanal tin mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Guillaume de Brier and Angela Jorns take the time to talk us through the day in the life of tin miners and how decisions made in the electronics industry, even down to the level of every consumer, have an impact on their livelihoods.

And if you want to dive deeper, be sure to read the blogpost and full research report available on our website: https://www.fairphone.com/en/blog/

Chances are you’ve grown increasingly aware of data security over the past few years; this isn’t just about protecting your email password or credit card number anymore. We’ve seen first hand, in real-time, the cost of intensive data extraction on our society. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to new concerns over coronavirus contact-tracing apps, these abstract data-mining forces are changing how we shop, eat, socialize, think, vote, live.

So we're proud to announce our new partnership with /e/ Foundation for an open-source operating system that prioritizes user privacy.

We sat down with /e/ founder Gael Duval and marketing & operations manager Alexis Noetinger to discuss the importance of data security for individual users, as well as society as a whole.

(PS: We know the sound quality is not the best, but due to the current situation, we're recording these episodes through video meetings from remote locations. We wanted to bring you these stories despite the distance and hope you can bear with us, until we're back in our studio)

Sound BYTES: With our podcast series, we're bringing you closer to the stories that drive our mission, giving you a peek behind the scenes of our efforts to change the industry. For all of you who don't have time for the full conversation and just want the highlights, we've got you covered with our Sound BYTES: Everything you need to know, in 10 minutes or less :)

Chances are you’ve grown increasingly aware of data security over the past few years; this isn’t just about protecting your email password or credit card number anymore. We’ve seen first hand, in real-time, the cost of intensive data extraction on our society. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to new concerns over coronavirus contact-tracing apps, these abstract data-mining forces are changing how we shop, eat, socialize, think, vote, live.

So we're proud to announce our new partnership with /e/ Foundation for an open-source operating system that prioritizes user privacy.

We sat down with /e/ founder Gael Duval and marketing & operations manager Alexis Noetinger to discuss the importance of data security for individual users, as well as society as a whole.

(PS: We know the sound quality is not the best, but due to the current situation, we're recording these episodes through video meetings from remote locations. We wanted to bring you these stories despite the distance and hope you can bear with us, until we're back in our studio)

Welcome back, everyone! Episode 2 of our Fairtalks podcast and we've got a good one for you: Where better to start than at the very beginning, with the guy who kicked it all off?

We're jumping into 2020 with Fairphone's origin story - from only existing as an ideal and on a business card, to our very first trip to the mines in the Congo and the rollercoaster ride of trying to change the electronics industry from within.

Our founder Bas van Abel shares his unique perspective from behind the scenes of a growing social enterprise, as we discuss how we made it from humble beginnings to Fairphone 3.

We really see a lot of potential in taking this podcast format further than our little recording studio in the office. As we dig deeper, we’ll include our community each step of the way. So here is your chance to let us know what are your burning questions and where would you like to see this podcast go over the next few episodes.

All the best,

Jan & Miquel.

We're proud to introduce our new podcast 🎙💡

Here at Fairphone, we're out to change the electronics industry - Because we really believe that care for people and planet should be a natural part of doing business. Together with an amazing network of changemakers, we're disrupting a short-term way of thinking that the world can no longer afford.

Join our host Miquel for a series of conversations with inspiring change-makers. We'll bring you a little closer to our world, diving into all the ins and outs of making the electronics industry more sustainable 🙌

For the first episode, Miquel sat down with someone who knows a thing or two about longevity and repair: iFixit Europe's CEO, Matthias Huisken. Over the course of about half an hour, the conversation twists, turns, and goes to some unexpected places - covering everything from e-waste, the right to repair, and even interplanetary travel.

As we dig deeper, we’ll include our community each step of the way.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on our conversation with Matthias, feedback on our first episode, and who you’d like to hear from in upcoming podcasts.