O2’s phone recycling schemes make it easy for customers, employees and the public to dispose safely of redundant handsets for recycling or reuse.
Since the launch of this programme in 2002 we have recovered more than half a million mobile handsets. We offer mobile phones recycling schemes in each of our markets. Increasingly, many charities and other commercial organisations are involved in collecting redundant phones.
We collect redundant handsets and accessories through our retail stores, offices and by post and we include recycling envelopes in the packaging of phones sold online.
In Germany our jointly branded initiative with the WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature has increased the collection of redundant phones. In Germany in response to the European Commission Waste, Electronic and Electronic Equipment Directive mobile handsets can also be returned at local authority collection points.
In 2005/06, we set a target for handset recycling of 150,000, recognising the need to improve on our performance in this area last year. We collected 335,777 1; handsets for recycling, compared to 138,884 in 2004/05.
In addition to collecting redundant handsets we collect handsets through trade-ins, when customers change their handsets for newer models. Last year we collected more than half a million of these in the UK alone. These phones are re-used by O2 employees or business customers, or resold as second-hand items.
Through our recycling schemes returned items are refurbished for re-use or recycled, leaving only a small quantity of inert plastics destined for controlled landfill. Refurbished phones are re-used by a number of business customers or, through third parties, sold in other countries where appropriate recycling schemes are also in operation.
In all our markets the recycling schemes are linked to a charitable partner or environmental cause. Targeted funds from handset recycling go to Weston Spirit in the UK; the Mighty Oak Appeal in the Isle of Man; the WWF - World Wild Fund for Nature in Germany and the Tree Council for Ireland.
In 2005/06 we concluded our successful partnership with Rainforest Concern. A proportion of the revenues raised through the O2 recycling scheme supported Rainforest Concern’s work to protect some of the most threatened rainforest in north western Ecuador.
The programme helped to:
We continue to emphasise the importance of recycling to employees and encourage them to involve their friends and families. We have recently placed new phone recycling boxes in all our UK offices.
1 This year we have expanded our boundaries for reporting to include all of the companies that undertake recycling on our behalf.
