Cleared for Takeback: Inside a Major Airline’s Device Recovery Mission

04/25/25 • 23 min

What if your sustainability initiative could simultaneously reduce costs, increase asset recovery, and support educational opportunities for underserved communities?

Join Apkudo’s Allyson Mitchell (VP of Sustainability) as she speaks with Ben Jones, Executive Vice President of Enterprise Takeback, about a transformative device recovery program implemented for a major US airline. Ben shares how they helped the airline transition from manual spreadsheets and limited visibility to a comprehensive platform solution that achieved a remarkable 97% asset recovery rate across 110,000+ devices. You’ll hear the surprising details about how innovative approaches like employee purchase programs exceeded expectations with nearly 50% adoption among pilots, while also highlighting the significant environmental benefits of extending device lifecycles.

Ben explains how the airline's global, constantly-moving workforce presented unique challenges that led to creative solutions now benefiting customers across industries. The discussion covers the evolution of electronic flight bags from 35-pound paper manuals to iPads, the implementation of a transparent commercial model, and exciting future developments including remote wipe capabilities and robotics automation. This episode offers valuable insights for IT and mobility professionals managing enterprise device fleets, particularly in hybrid or distributed workforce environments.
In this episode:

(00:00) Introduction and overview: Allyson Mitchell introduces special guest Ben Jones to discuss airline device recovery.
(06:13) Commercial model transformation: Implementing a new consignment approach and recover platform to solve the airline's device tracking challenges.
(09:02) Surprising adoption results: Pilot device buyback rates exceeded expectations, reaching nearly 50% versus the predicted 5%.
(10:46) Measurable business impact: Impressive metrics include 97% recovery rate across 110,000 devices and $3 million in returned value.
(14:50) Social impact initiatives: Donation program with Aerospace Center of Excellence helps underprivileged students pursue careers in aviation through device reuse.
(19:08) Innovation roadmap: Exciting future developments including remote wipe capabilities, robotics automation, and further sustainability enhancements.
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Resources:
Ben Jones LinkedIn Apkudo LinkedIn
Apkudo
Apkudo Podcast

What if your sustainability initiative could simultaneously reduce costs, increase asset recovery, and support educational opportunities for underserved communities?

(00:00) Introduction and overview: Allyson Mitchell introduces special guest Ben Jones to discuss airline device recovery.
(06:13) Commercial model transformation: Implementing a new consignment approach and recover platform to solve the airline's device tracking challenges.
(09:02) Surprising adoption results: Pilot device buyback rates exceeded expectations, reaching nearly 50% versus the predicted 5%.
(10:46) Measurable business impact: Impressive metrics include 97% recovery rate across 110,000 devices and $3 million in returned value.
(14:50) Social impact initiatives: Donation program with Aerospace Center of Excellence helps underprivileged students pursue careers in aviation through device reuse.
(19:08) Innovation roadmap: Exciting future developments including remote wipe capabilities, robotics automation, and further sustainability enhancements.
Send us your comments, ideas for future shows, and feedback. Subscribe to catch future episodes, and share this episode with someone who might be interested!

Resources:
Ben Jones LinkedIn Apkudo LinkedIn
Apkudo
Apkudo Podcast

Previous Episode

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.
Send us your comments, ideas for future shows, and feedback. Subscribe to catch future episodes, and share this episode with someone who might be interested!

Resources:
Tony Altmann LinkedIn Apkudo LinkedIn
Apkudo
Apkudo Podcast