Old Phones Gathering Dust in the Drawer Could Be Worth Millions – Telekom’s Summer Campaign Launches

Nearly 2.7 million unused smartphones are gathering dust in the depths of drawers in Hungarian households, while these devices contain valuable, almost entirely recyclable raw materials. Magyar Telekom’s environmentally conscious summer campaign encourages its customers to hand in their redundant mobile phones and tablets. Participants not only contribute to protecting the planet but also get a chance to win valuable prizes – including a one million HUF travel voucher or a football autographed by Dominik Szoboszlai.

Shocking Quantitative Data: What Lies Hidden in an Average Smartphone?

Producing an average smartphone requires approximately 268 kilograms of raw materials. Although the devices are small, the technology within them is highly complex: they can contain up to 63 different elements from the periodic table. Alongside plastic and glass, numerous critical metals – including precious and rare-earth metals such as gold, silver, palladium, cobalt, and lithium – are hidden in our devices.

The truly shocking fact, however, is that about 90 percent of these valuable raw materials could be recycled. Despite this, a recent domestic study pointed out that the previously mentioned 2.7 million unused phones still lie idle in Hungarians’ closets.

Thousands of Kilograms of E-Waste Collected Already Last Year

In the spirit of responsible digitalization, Magyar Telekom has long been committed to collecting and properly recycling redundant devices. Thanks to the company’s efforts, more than 4,500 kilograms of used mobile phones and tablets were collected over the past year, ensuring their professional and environmentally friendly treatment.

How to Participate in the 2026 Summer Prize Draw?

This summer, the telecommunications company aims to motivate its customers to do a “mobile spring cleaning” with a new prize draw. The mechanism is simple: unused smart devices, mobile phones, and tablets intended for recycling must be taken to any Telekom store by July 31, 2026. The campaign also includes a quantitative incentive: the more devices a customer hands in, the higher their chances in the draw.

The prizes up for grabs in the campaign are as follows:

• One 1,000,000 HUF travel voucher for two people.

• One football autographed by Dominik Szoboszlai.

• 100 Decathlon shopping vouchers, each worth 10,000 HUF.

Security and Data Protection During Drop-Off

Telekom processes the handed-in devices professionally and with a high priority on data security, but responsible data management begins at home. The company draws customers’ attention to the following steps, which are highly recommended before handing in the devices:

1. Complete deletion of personal data.

2. Removal of SIM cards and memory cards.

3. Restoring the device to factory settings.

What Happens to the Handed-In Mobiles?

During processing, the safely handed-in devices are dismantled, and the components are precisely sorted by material. Thanks to this process, valuable raw materials are given a new life and returned to the circular economy. This step not only effectively reduces the amount of accumulating electronic waste but also mitigates the need for primary mining, which is highly harmful and polluting to the environment.

Background Research Methodology

The referenced research examining the mobile phone storage habits of Hungarian households was commissioned by Magyar Telekom. The service design qualitative and quantitative sampling took place between December 2024 and March 2025. The quantitative sample size was 560 people; the target group consisted of Telekom mobile tariff plan customers selected from a randomized sample. Data collection was carried out via online questionnaires sent by SMS, as well as personal in-depth interviews and quick business interviews.

Source Reference:

• Original press release: Magyar Telekom Press Room – June 02, 2026