THE faIREST of THEM all

The Amsterdam-based company launched in 2013 produces smartphones that come the closest to being labelled as ethically produced. To date, two models have been released and the Fairphone 2, launched in 2015, is known to be the worlds first modular smartphone.

Hoping to make a positive impact on how phones are made, used and recycled, the company builds its phones around these four principles:

• Ensuring materials sourced are obtained fairly

• Good working conditions for workers

• Long-lasting design that allows flexibility in repairing and replacing parts

• Investing in programmes to reuse and recycle their phones

While Fairphone puts in as much effort as it can to ensure that the materials it uses are ethically sourced, the company acknowledges its phones are not 100 percent fair. Among the various reasons cited are suppliers not following the companys transparency policy and the long hours put in by workers in the Chinese manufacturing plants. The company hopes its phones will encourage people to think more about their demand for mobile phones.