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Challenges · Environment & CSR

Dormant devices & renewal

The most sober digital is what you already have. Yet tens of millions of phones and tablets sleep in our drawers while new ones are manufactured.

Constats chiffrés

Des millions de téléphones dorment dans les tiroirs

50%

Share of digital carbon footprint linked to terminals

Arcep, 2025
42% vs 8%

Terminal emissions: manufacturing vs use

Arcep, 2025
200 kg

Raw materials extracted to make a smartphone

ADEME
87%

Emissions avoided with a refurbished smartphone

ADEME
2.5 years

Average smartphone usage duration

ADEME-Arcep, 2023
100 million

Phones sleeping in drawers in France

Senate, 2016
15%

Share of phones actually collected

Senate, 2016

Le piège du « toujours plus récent »

The main problem

Half of digital's carbon footprint in France comes from devices themselves, mainly at manufacturing.

What really matters

Usage duration. A device serving longer amortizes its manufacturing footprint.

The fundamental confusion

Confusing 'old device' with 'useless device'.

Du geste le plus sobre au moins sobre

1

Keep using it

Keep your main device longer.

2

Give it a new use

Speaker, extra screen, music player.

3

Pass it on

Donation, resale, refurbishment.

4

Repair it

Battery, screen.

5

Recycle it

At collection point, last resort.

Chez FileVert, on assume nos choix

Concrete solutions

Related FileVert solutions

Concrete features that address this challenge

Synchronized listening: the same music on every phone

Put old phones back to work as speakers: one Explore link, same music at the same moment, no app.

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Carte du réemploi FileVert

Un outil d'intérêt général pour agir sur le cycle de vie réel des équipements numériques. Trouvez près de chez vous où réemployer et donner, réparer, vous former aux bonnes pratiques et accéder au reconditionné. Le recyclage n'intervient qu'en fin de vie réelle.

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Frequently asked questions

Answers about device reuse

Why does manufacturing weigh so much?

Extracting metals, producing components and assembling a device emits far more than charging it for years. According to Arcep, terminals represent half of digital's carbon footprint, mostly from manufacturing.

Is keeping an old phone in a drawer bad?

Not harmful in itself, but it's a missed opportunity: the device is no longer used, and its materials aren't recovered. Better to give it a purpose, pass it on, or recycle it.

What can I actually do with an old smartphone?

Use it as a speaker, alarm clock, secondary screen or music player, give it away or resell it, have it repaired, as a last resort drop it at a collection point.

Isn't an old device dangerous online?

A device that no longer receives security updates should be limited to simple uses: music playback, display. Avoid entering sensitive passwords or checking bank accounts on it.

My battery is worn, is the device lost?

No. Plugged into power, it can serve as a speaker or fixed screen. Battery replacement is also often possible.

What does this have to do with file transfer?

FileVert advocates for digital that does more with less. Not requiring an app or recent device is part of that: your files play on what you already own.

Where do I drop off my devices?

FileVert's digital reuse map lists repair, donation and collection locations near you.

What if your next device was already in your drawer?

Give your dormant devices a second life

Turn an old phoneFind a reuse location
✓ No app · ✓ Old devices welcome · ✓ Zero tracking