Most of us think about a phone’s final day only when it has already stopped working. Nyawira Muraguri, Corporate Marketing Manager at Samsung Electronics East Africa, wants that habit to change. Speaking at the GreenShift Forum 2026 in Nairobi, she explained why planning for a product’s end should begin on day one. That thinking sits at the heart of circular electronics, and it offers Kenyans a hopeful way to look at old gadgets.
How Circular Electronics Start at the Design Table
Muraguri said that real circular thinking begins long before a product reaches the shop, when designers first sketch the idea. She said, “Circular design means from the time you’re conceptualizing, from the time you’re designing, from the time you’re coming up with the product, you’ve already thought about what end of life looks like.” Designers then ask where the product goes next and how customers will dispose of it when the time comes. She added that manufacturers carry a responsibility to help, and that good design is where circular electronics begin.
Globally, Samsung takes old products back and uses the recovered components in its manufacturing process. Muraguri said the company also collects fishing nets, flip-flops and plastic bottles and turns them into plastic components. This year’s Galaxy S26 contains 21 percent recycled material, including recycled tantalum, which is one of its newest additions. Together, these steps show how circular electronics can turn yesterday’s materials into the phones people carry tomorrow.
Longevity Keeps Your Phone Working for Years
Muraguri said a longer life is one of the simplest circular steps, because customers keep benefiting from the product they already own. Flagship phones start from about KES 150,000, so buyers naturally want them to last as long as possible. Samsung now offers seven years of software and security updates for its flagship Galaxy phones. She said, “If you buy that phone today, it means for the next seven years it’s going to serve you.” That means fewer trips to the shop and less waste, which is the practical side of circular electronics.
Everyday Choices Start in Your Own Drawer
Many Kenyans keep old phones at home, and Muraguri said the habit is easy to understand. “We like to keep things,” she said. “Those electronic products in your house, please, when the opportunity comes to recycle, please bring them back.” Every returned device gives circular electronics a little more to work with in the years ahead.
Samsung started its Kenyan take-back effort in 2022, and at first it accepted only its own products. Muraguri said the aim is to accept any electronic product in future and find a way to recycle it. Globally, she said the company aims to collect 10 million tons of electronic waste by 2030. She closed with three simple messages for the room: longevity matters, materials matter and everyday choices matter. Small steps like these can carry circular electronics from the forum floor into every home.
