Recycle

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You might have read the other day about research by the operator O2, which ranked Nokia at the top of the pile when it comes to the environment. The same research also found that more people than ever are influenced by green issues when buying a new device. That’s great news for the planet because currently only a measly 3% of people bother recycling their mobile phones.

WHY BOTHER?

How many old mobile phones do you have lying around? One, two, three? Our global consumer survey found that 44% of the world’s phones are lying unused in drawers. Rather than have them clutter up your house, you can make a real difference to the environment. If everyone recycled just one of their mobile phones, we could reclaim 240,000 tonnes of raw materials, which would otherwise need to be taken from the earth. That would save as much energy and reduce as much greenhouse gases as taking 4 million cars off the road! And if that’s not a good enough reason already, in many cases you can get some new cash for your old phone.

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

One of the things that stops people giving away their old phone is the fear of losing content: old photos, messages and numbers. But fear not, with Nokia Ovi Suite, you can transfer all your stuff to your PC. Once you’ve cleared the phone, there’s a variety of ways of getting rid of it. In the UK, for example, Compare and Recycle helps you find the place that will give you the best deal for your old phone. Otherwise, you can go to one of over 5000 Nokia recycling points in nearly 85 countries.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM?

Up to 80% of a Nokia device can be recycled. Most mobile phones contain gold, aluminum, copper and platinum, and the materials that are reclaimed can be used for the most unlikely things. Everything from saxophones, kettles and park benches use material from mobile phones. Plastic is often melted down and used to make road cones. Old phones can also be refurbished and re-sold or used to make brand new phones.

WHICH PHONES ARE THE MOST RECYCLED?

It differs from country to country, but in the UK, for example, research by sellmymobile.com, found that 6 of the top 10 most recycled phones were made by Nokia, including the N95 and N73. So if you’ve got one of these, or any phone for that matter, what are you waiting for? Get recycling today!