GSMA Industry Services Unveils Circularity Services to Assist Operators in Cutting E-Waste and Generating Value

On August 13, 2026, GSMA Industry Services introduced Circularity Services to assist mobile operators in managing electronic waste and to enable greater value to be obtained from devices, network equipment, and other technological assets. This may reduce the environmental impact of waste electronics. Through Circularity Services, organizations will be able to spot opportunities for refurbishment, reuse, recycling, and more efficient asset management. The initiative targets to help operators move towards additional circular business models by improving how equipment is managed throughout its entire lifecycle.

Leading telecommunication operators are still investing in network modernization and continuing to deploy new generations of connected devices due to demand for effective management of retired equipment. Circularity Services could thus help the telecommunications sector link its sustainability targets with operational efficiency and with new possibilities for value recovery. The initiative takes into account the fact that circularity can bring about commercial advantages by extending the life of equipment, recovering valuable materials and enhancing resource efficiency.

Impact on the Telecommunications Sector

The global telecommunication market size is estimated at USD 2.46 trillion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 2.61 trillion in 2026 to approximately USD 4.42 trillion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 6.03% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the telecommunications industry has the most to gain from GSMA’s Circularity Services, as operators are dealing with increasing amounts of retired network equipment, smartphones, routers, and other electronic items. By adopting a systematic circularity approach, operators could lengthen the life of their equipment through refurbishment and reuse, ensuring longevity.

Telecommunication companies modernize their infrastructure and increase network capacity. Circular asset management might lead to lower disposal costs and contribute to more efficient resource management. Additionally, this initiative enables superior procurement, deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning strategies by helping to achieve wider environmental objectives.

Impact on the Consumer Electronics Sector

The global consumer electronics market size was calculated at USD 870 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 943.08 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 1,949 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 8.40% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the consumer electronics sector may face both pressure and opportunities as telecommunications operators place greater emphasis on device durability, refurbishment, reuse, and material recovery. It will be necessary for manufacturers and technology suppliers to design their products with longer durability periods and with repair or recycling in mind.

Better circularity initiatives could lead to the development of stronger secondary markets for smartphones, connected devices, and networking equipment, and reduce the demand for raw materials. The initiative might therefore lead to greater cooperation between operators, manufacturers, recyclers, and refurbishers. The electronics sector that creates modular products, uses recyclable components, and has efficient take-back schemes could achieve a competitive advantage as sustainability requirements increase.

Impact on the Recycling & Circular Economy Sector

The global digital circular economy market size accounted for USD 3.56 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 4.43 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 29.73 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 23.46% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, For the recycling and circular economy industry, GSMA's initiative might open up new opportunities by getting telecom operators to view retired technology assets as recoverable resources rather than as waste. The greater amount of devices and network equipment that enters organized reuse and recycling channels could promote growth in refurbishment, materials recovery, asset resale, and specialized e-waste processing.

It could also prompt recyclers to come up with more advanced techniques for recovering valuable metals and components. Better coordination throughout the telecommunications value chain could lead to higher collection rates and improved traceability by generating additional economic value from equipment that would otherwise be discarded.

Expert Opinion

From an expert point of view, the Circularity Services initiative put forward by the GSMA is strategically important since the telecommunications industry is at the heart of a rapidly growing technology lifecycle. The most valuable feature of this program is its ability to present circularity as a business strategy rather than just as an environmental duty. It is necessary for operators to constantly install new network equipment, connected devices, and infrastructure, resulting in a large number of assets that must be reused, refurbished, recycled of responsibly.

By extending the life of assets, it is possible to lower both procurement and disposal costs and to recover value from the equipment and materials in question. Yet in order to achieve real impact, cooperation is needed between operators, manufacturers, recyclers, regulators and customers. This requires standardized processes, transparent asset tracking, product design that is crucial for repair, and measurable circularity targets. If the GSMA is able to help set up practical industry-wide frameworks, then Circularity Services could speed up the major industrial sector's move towards more energy-efficient and commercially sustainable operating models.