STUDY. 86% of Romanians keep old mobile phones stored away in drawers. Nearly half keep 2–3 devices, while some have four or more

Romanians keep millions of unused mobile phones stored in drawers or throw them away with household waste, according to a new study conducted by Ipsos for the Environ Association. The data shows that 86% of Romanians have old mobile phones at home, stored in drawers. Of these, 56% keep two or three old phones, while 31% keep four or more. The phenomenon is part of what specialists call the “invisible drawer”, the accumulation of unused electrical and electronic equipment in households that is neither used nor recycled.

Although Romanians claim that recycling is important, actual behaviors reveal a significant gap between intention and action. In many cases, these devices are simply stored for years in drawers or storage spaces. Among the electronic items that Romanians keep at home despite no longer using them, mobile phones generate the s...