Despite this, only 13% of internet users thought that buying refurbished devices was a useful avenue for limiting ICT’s environmental footprint
The stuttering nature of device recycling was highlighted in a recent device ownership report carried out by French regulator Arcep with the Economic Council (CGE) and France’s National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT).
The Digital Market Barometer report found that in 2023, French households owned an average of 10 digital devices, not all of which they use – for a total of around 300 million digital devices in Metropolitan France. Of all the devices found inside the home, a quarter are kept but never used, which means that around 70 million devices could be refurbished or recycled.
Devices like smartphones, televisions, smart speakers, computers and so on – particularly during manufacture – account for the lion’s share of ICT’s environmental impact. The report stated that promoting the reuse of these devices is one of the levers that helps extend their lifespan, and thereby limit their environmental impact. In 2023, 21% of respondents reported owning a smartphone that they had bought either refurbished or second hand. This is especially common amongst the youngest users: up to a third of 18–24-year-olds.
However, buying refurbished hardware is still insufficiently identified as a lever to reduce ICT’s environmental footprint, according to the report. When asked about what useful steps they were taking to limit the environmental footprint of their digital lifestyle, more than eight out of 10 internet users said they were performing at least one action to achieve that.
Increasing the life of their devices (66%), and the number of devices they owned (49%), as well as the power they consume (77%), are among the most frequently cited actions. However, only 13% of internet users thought that buying refurbished devices was a useful avenue for limiting ICT’s environmental footprint.
Almost half of rural connections are fibre
While the percentage of the French population that owns a computer and/or a smartphone has plateaued at a high level (87%), more recent digital devices such as smart speakers continue to increase in popularity: 37% of respondents report owning at least one connected object (home automation, electronics, health, security) and 29% own a smart speaker.
The report found that users’ habits are changing in two ways: 80% of the population now use instant messaging services (up 1% YoY), and 60% regularly read their newspapers and magazines in digital format. Virtually all younger users have adopted these services, but they are also now catching on among older generations: close to 60% of people over 70 now surf the web on their mobile, compared to fewer than 20% in 2017.
This growing adoption can be set against the increasingly widespread access to FTTP: 67% of fixed internet customers have a fibre plan. This percentage is growing in rural communities, where close to half of all internet subscribers now have this technology (48%, up 14% YoY).