The Device Renewal Forum (DRF), an organization that promotes the recycling of old phones and their return to the marketplace, just revealed that T-Mobile USA finds itself among its ranks. The DRF is an organization that aims to provide standards, certifications, and auditing safeguards that must be in place to make the global refurbishing rate increase from the measly 10 percent it currently yields.
Blancco, ecoATM, ERS International, FutureDial, and now T-Mobile USA make up the companies that have joined DRF in this year alone. The DRF's milestone for this quarter is to publish the "DRF Device Renewal and Acceptance Criteria," which will become a global standard by which these companies can assess smartphones, regular phones, and tablets for renewal eligibility. On the consumer end, they should expect to see cheaper refurbished versions of the phones they wish to purchase in the future. This will not only increase economic activity, but will also provide more revenue for companies that sell these phones.
Perry LaForge, chairman of the DRF, said, "With more than 33 million customers, T-Mobile USA will play an important role in educating U.S. mobile users about the environmental and economic benefits of device renewal. We look forward to working with T-Mobile USA's leadership to preserve the environment and double the market for renewed mobile devices over the next five years."
Dennis Pettit, director of reverse logistics at T-Mobile USA added, "Since 2011, T-Mobile USA's handset recycling program has diverted millions of phones from landfills and junk drawers. By joining the DRF, we're taking this commitment to the next level and expanding access to high-quality renewed devices in the U.S. and abroad."
The most exciting part of this is the logically-assumed increase in consumer power that will be brought about by this movement. It’s possible that we will see lower income individuals purchasing higher-end phones that were previously beyond their means.
Edited by
Jamie Epstein 
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