Zero Waste: Cellphones

Vodafone will still take your used mobile phones for recycling 

A major nationwide mobile phone recycling campaign to help reduce the amount of mobile waste being dumped each year has ended, but your old mobile phones can still be recycled.

Vodafone New Zealand Limited's "The Old, The Broke and The Ugly" recycling initiative that encouraged all mobile users - consumers, companies and public authorities -  to hand in their old mobile phones finished on September 17.  The program was an extension of an existing recycling scheme run in conjunction with Nokia New Zealand

Customers were rewarded with $5 free Vodafone airtime for every handset or battery they recycled, and the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation donated $5 per individual who recycled to the Zero Waste New Zealand Trust.  The Foundation has so far donated $43,520 to Zero Waste NZ Trust.  Vodafone prevented more than 6780kg of mobile phone equipment going to landfill - 16,826 mobile phones - up until the end of August 2004.  They will continue to take mobile phones for recycling.   

According to Vodafone's managing Director, Tim Miles, about 2.6 million Kiwis use a mobile phone and on average buy a new handset every 18 to 24 months. Vodafone believe there are thousands, possibly tens of thousands of old unused mobiles out there and they want to encourage people to recycle them.

All mobiles irrespective of age, condition or the network you are on will be recycled.

New Zealand produces more overall waste per capita than any other OECD country and potentially hazardous waste makes up around 8% of that amount.

Pick up a recycling envelope at any participating Vodafone outlet (or order envelopes online at www.vodafone.co.nz/recycling). Pop your old, broke or ugly mobile phone, battery and/or charger into the envelope, and mail free of charge to Vodafone.

In conjunction with Nokia, equipment is collected in New Zealand and shipped to Singapore where certified recycler, Citiraya, safely recycles equipment.

This initiative has been undertaken with the generous support of Vodafone business partners: Nokia, Alcatel, Sharp, Sony Ericsson, Motorola & Siemens.

Manukau City Council

is running a trial project to collect old mobile phones, batteries and chargers.
These will be broken down into components for reuse instead of sending them to landfill.
The recycling box is located at the council's customer service centre. If successful, the project, funded by Nokia and Vodafone, will be extended to include drop-off stations in libraries and supermarkets citywide.
For more information go to www.manukau.govt.nz