Nokia: just three percent of people recycle their old mobile phone

Andy Merrett Mobile phones
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large_mobile_phone.jpgDespite the fact that nearly three-quarters of people said that recycling makes a positive difference to the environment, almost the same number don’t think about recycling their old mobile phones, with just three percent doing so.

Mobile phone junk is an increasing problem as many people strive for the latest handsets, and as phone companies encourage their users to upgrade handset every year. Nokia’s global study of 6,500 people in 13 countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA, Nigeria, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil) found that nearly half didn’t know it was possible to recycle their old mobile phone.

On average, each person surveyed had owned five mobile phones. One in twenty of these is thrown away with the regular household waste, thus ending up in landfill, but nearly half just sit around at home even after use.

Nokia says that it’s working on improving its global take-back programmes and providing better information to consumers.

“If each of the three billion people globally owning mobiles brought back just one unused device we could save 240,000 tonnes of raw materials and reduce greenhouse gases to the same effect as taking 4 million cars off the road. By working together, small individual actions could add up to make a big difference,” said Markus Terho, Director of Environmental Affairs, Markets, at Nokia.

Up to 80% of any Nokia device is recyclable, according to the company, and can be used in the manufacture of a variety of other products (cue Eddie “the possibilities are endless” Izzard).

At least us Brits topped the awareness chart, with four in five saying they knew about mobile phone recycling. It’s even possible to help out a charity by recycling your old phones.

Get more eco-friendly ideas at Hippyshopper

Related posts: Lamp made from cassette tapes | Hop1800 disposable mobile phone

Andy Merrett
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6 comments

  • I really thank to one who wrote this article. I have always been reading and writing texts like this in blogs. Also, I, as a daily writer, present my respects to everyone. I just watched videos like this in research in all areas.
    I think people must first research before writing.

  • I sold/recycled five phones that were lying around my house to Mobile Phone Xchange after seeing they were offering the most on a recycling comparison website and i made loadsa money from it! thought it all seemed a bit like a scam which is why i never did it before but it’s definitely worth making a few bob. there’s so many companies doing it now so loads offer competitive prices, best doing some research to see who’s offering you the most. i’d recommend it though!

  • One problem is that recycling is very fragmented in this country with every council having different policies on what they can take and provision of services. So even if you want to it might be very hard to find a place that offers it. Still, I’ve been seeing more and more shops do exchanges and offer recycling facilities so maybe there is hope there.

    • Yes, I don’t think our council takes them, so it would be a case of either returning them to Nokia (for their own brand of phones, of course) or finding a charity who can make use of them. I think there are two phones sitting around here, with a third one soon to be extinct on Friday 😉

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