Reshaping the Connected Device Economy

"There's a huge opportunity to reclaim scarce resources through urban mining of what's inside these phones, tablets, laptops. We have to move away from the linear consumption model - take, make, waste - that we've had for 250 years." - Tony Altmann, Head of Circular Innovation at Apkudo 

Join Apkudo’s Allyson Mitchell (VP of Sustainability) as she speaks with Tony Altmann, Head of Circular Innovation at Apkudo, about transforming the connected device industry through circular economy principles. Tony explains how Apkudo's platform helps customers across the supply chain—from OEMs and carriers to device processors and enterprises—recapture value while reducing environmental impact. With 82 million metric tons of e-waste projected by 2030 and five billion unused phones sitting in drawers worldwide, the conversation highlights the urgent need for improved recovery systems and the $8 billion in gold alone that could be reclaimed through proper urban mining. 

Tony shares insights from Apkudo's 2024 Impact Report, revealing how the company processed 16 million devices last year—preventing 6,100 tons of e-waste, avoiding 1.1 million tons of CO2 emissions, and reclaiming approximately $23 million worth of gold. The discussion explores how sustainability challenges including data availability, trust, and communication are being addressed through Apkudo's analytics platform. For businesses across climate, energy, and technology sectors, the episode offers valuable perspectives on how companies can align environmental goals with financial performance while creating competitive advantage through circular innovation. 

In this episode: 

• (00:00) Introduction and Background: Tony Altmann shares his financial expertise in renewable energy, explaining how sustainability must make business sense for CFOs to drive real change. 

• (04:30) E-Waste Challenges and Opportunities: Discussion of urban mining potential, recovering $8B in gold from unused devices, and the geopolitical importance of reclaiming rare earth minerals. 

• (06:13) Industry Ecosystem Solutions: How carriers, OEMs, processors, and enterprises can collaborate to extend device lifecycles and improve circularity across the value chain. 

• (13:18) Overcoming Sustainability Barriers: Tony outlines three key challenges—data availability, trust in metrics, and effective communication—that companies must address for progress. 

• (26:49) Impact Results and Future Direction: Apkudo's 2024 report highlights processing 16M devices, preventing 6,100 tons of e-waste, and avoiding 1.1M tons of CO2 emissions. 

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Resources:  
Tony Altmann LinkedIn 
Apkudo LinkedIn 
Apkudo 
Apkudo Podcast