O2’s move to switch off 3G could generate £13m worth of e-waste

O2 network’s move to switch off 3G in April 2025 could generate £13 million worth of e-waste, according to new research by BusinessWaste.co.uk.

According to a survey by Opinium of 2,000 UK adults, the 3G switch-off on O2’s network is expected to affect approximately 4.3 million people across the UK. The research is based on 4.3 million devices being discarded.

BusinessWaste.co.uk said because these devices will be unable to connect to data through 3G technology, meaning they will no longer be able to make calls, send texts, or connect to the internet once the network is switched off, they are likely to be discarded.

The amount of e-waste materials by kilogram was taken from BusinessWaste.co.uk and the amount of e-waste in kilograms was multiplied by 4.3 to calculate the amount of e-waste by material generated from 4.3 million devices.

The research found O2 network’s move to switch off 3G in April could generate 70,516kg of e-waste and the materials could be worth £13.7 million.

BusinessWaste.co.uk identified 68,800kg of copper could be generated if 4.3 million old devices are affected, which would be worth a total of £509,808.

Silver was in second place with a total of 1,505kg generated at a value of £1,223,535. While palladium within the phones could generate 65kg of waste, valued at £1,638,961.

The most valuable metal was gold, with the research finding 146kg could be retrieved from 4.3 million old phones, which could be worth £10,397,184.

Mark Hall, waste management expert at Business Waste, commented: “The decision to switch off 3G and 2G networks will inevitably lead to a huge amount of e-waste and leave a big impact on our environment.

“However, the good news is that with the majority of materials in our devices recyclable, you can look to reduce your carbon footprint. By doing this you can reduce e-waste and prevent it from going to landfill.”