Fairphone 5 Review: Sustainability & Environment
Recycled Materials
Cobalt
Part of Fair Cobalt Alliance but Fairphone is one of the founders so… :/
Plastics
Mass % of recycled content in FP5 modules: Aluminium 94%, Copper 46%, Indium 77%, Magnesium 82%, Nickel 28%, Plastics 69%, Rare Earth Elements 24%, Tin 64%, Zinc 56%. “More than 70% fair focus materials” stated, but overall recycled plastic percentage not specified beyond 69% in plastics module.
Aluminum
94% secondary aluminum at launch.
Tin
64% recycled tin at launch.
Steel
82% secondary magnesium, 28% secondary nickel, 56% secondary zinc, 24% secondary Rare Earth Elements at launch. Secondary PC (Polycarbonate – 69% recycled) and TPU (Thermal Polyurethane – 90% recycled in soft case) production modeled.
Copper
46% secondary copper at launch.
Ocean Bound Plastic
no information given
Packaging
Recycled Packaging
Packaging plastic use reduced by ~40% (65g plastic in 265g total weight). Fairphone 9 series packaging 99% plastic-free. Strong commitment to reducing plastic and increasing recycled content. Aims for additional recycled materials and improved recycling rate. Design goal to reduce packaging plastics.
Recycled Fibre
no information given
Plastic Free Packaging
While 100% plastic-free is a goal, Fairphone’s “Fairphone 9 series” packaging achieved 99% plastic-free. Actively exploring materials for 100% target.
Longevity & Upgrades
Durability
IP55 sweat and water resistance. Corning™ Gorilla Glass 5. Passed military-grade drop tests (1.8m). Modular design makes replacements easy. DIY repairs quickly pay off: battery swap 16 days, display 92 days to offset footprint, showing 37-40% reduction in emissions vs no repair.
Longevity
5-year warranty. Software updates until 2031, alongside 8 years of software support. Expandable memory (SD card up to 2TB). iFixit repairability score 9.3 out of 10. Keeping phone for 5 years vs 3 can slash annual CO2 emissions by over 28%. Designed for long life and easier user repair. Provides free system/software upgrade service.
Energy & Emissions
Energy
4200mAh removable Li-ion battery with 30W fast-charging (50% in 20 minutes). Display dynamically adjusts for power efficiency. Qualcomm QCM 6490 chipset ensures efficient performance. Pushes for low-carbon manufacturing using renewable electricity throughout supply chain. Innovative low-carbon design reduces product’s power consumption. Energy consumption in use phase: 6.57 kWh/a. Deep optimization of software algorithms reduces power consumption and improves product life. Theoretical call duration extended to 24 hours, standby to one week.
Carbon Footprint / Emissions
42.1 kg CO₂e
Carbon Neutral
Goals
Committed to Net Zero by 2045 (5 years ahead of Paris Agreement). Climate targets approved by Science Based Targets initiative. Production is main GHG emissions driver. Extending phone life significantly reduces yearly impact: 3 years use = 14.0 kg CO2 eq./year, 10 years use = 6.9 kg CO2 eq./year.