What is Fairphone?
Fairphone is more than just a smartphone brand—it’s a social enterprise on a mission to build a movement for fairer electronics. They’ve created the world’s first ethical, modular smartphone. By making a phone, Fairphone is opening up the supply chain and forging new relationships between people and their products. The goal? To make technology with a purpose—designed to last longer, perform better, and truly make a real impact. And this journey has been going strong for over a decade now.
Main Benefits of Choosing Fairphone
When someone buys a Fairphone, they’re not just getting a phone—they’re backing its makers with a living wage bonus. This means supporting fair pay, respectful treatment, and pride in craftsmanship. Plus, Fairphone is the first and only smartphone company to integrate Fairtrade gold into its supply chain. Here’s a quick look at the impact so far:
- 999 tons of CO2 avoided in 2023
- 29,195 old phones recycled so far
- 24.7 tons of e-waste taken back in 2023
- 105,877 people benefited
- $204,000 paid as living wage bonus in 2023
Fairphone’s Unique Approach to Sustainability
Fairphone isn’t just about making a product; it’s about changing the way products are made. The company focuses on fair materials, long-lasting design, good working conditions, and reuse and recycling. This approach expands the market for products that put ethical values first. It’s a fresh take on technology—one that puts people and the planet at the center.
Community and Rewards: The Keep Club
One of the coolest things Fairphone offers is the Keep Club. It’s the only rewards program that’s all about keeping what you love for longer—and getting rewarded for it! This encourages users to hold on to their phones, reduce waste, and be part of a community that values sustainability. It’s a win-win, really.
Looking Ahead: Fairphone’s Next Chapter
Fairphone’s latest Impact Report highlights their ongoing commitment to sustainable tech, showing real progress in emissions reduction and improved labor practices. And now, stepping into 2025, they’re making a big shift. It’s more than just a new logo or fresh colors—it’s a milestone built on over a decade of learning, growth, and hard work. This rebrand is their long-term promise to customers and the planet alike.
Project Impact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – supporting fair pay and respectful treatment
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – promoting reuse, recycling, and long-lasting design
- SDG 13: Climate Action – reducing CO2 emissions significantly
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – pioneering ethical supply chains and modular design
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – building new relationships across the supply chain
Why Fairphone Matters in the Tech World
In an industry often criticized for planned obsolescence and questionable labor practices, Fairphone stands out as a beacon of change. By focusing on transparency, ethics, and sustainability, it challenges the status quo. It’s not just about selling phones—it’s about creating a positive impact across the entire value chain. Together with its community, Fairphone is changing the way products are made, proving that technology can be both innovative and responsible.
What Fairphone actually does
Fairphone designs modular, repairable smartphones built with fair-trade and recycled materials, sold with multi-year software and spare-parts support so devices last far longer than the industry average. The Fairphone 5 carries a perfect 10/10 iFixit repairability score, an IP55 water/dust rating, at least 8 years of support, 10 swappable parts, and over 36% recycled or fair-trade materials.
Where the model shows up
- Consumer devices: Fairphone 5 and Fairphone 4 smartphones, plus Fairbuds and Fairbuds XL earphones, each built for repair rather than replacement.
- Software/OS ecosystem: partnership with Murena to offer the privacy-focused /e/OS operating system on Fairphone devices.
- Take-back and recycling: a pledge to take back one device for recycling for every product sold, working toward 100% e-waste neutrality by 2026.
Proof, not just claims
Fairphone also reports 30 tons of e-waste collected in 2025 and has set a net-zero emissions target for 2045.
Why this belongs on a sustainability directory
Fairphone supports SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) through its living-wage bonus program for factory workers, and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) by designing phones for repair and longevity instead of planned obsolescence, backed by fair-trade gold sourcing and recycled materials.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Fairphone based, and who uses it?
Fairphone is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its phones are sold directly to consumers seeking a repairable, ethically sourced alternative to mainstream smartphones, with software support via its Murena partnership.
Which SDGs does Fairphone support, and how?
SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth): paid over €1.25 million in living-wage bonuses to factory workers since 2019. SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production): modular, repairable design plus fair-trade gold and recycled materials cut e-waste and extend device lifespan.
How is Fairphone verified as a sustainability project?
Fairphone is a Certified B Corporation, holds an EcoVadis Platinum medal, and sources Fairtrade-certified gold.
Looking for similar clean technology projects?
See Clean Technology projects on Keys for Tomorrow.
