An extra
2 million mobile phones to be left on scrapheap after Christmas
Released
on: November 9, 2007, 4:46 am
Press
Release Author: Tesco
Mobile
Industry:
Electronics
Press
Release Summary: Tesco research reveals that there is a critical
lack of understanding when it comes to recycling old mobile handsets
Press
Release Body: A new study from Tesco Mobile has
found that an extra 2 million mobile phones are expected to go on
the scrapheap this Christmas* as Brits lack an understanding on
how to recycle electronic waste.
Data
from the Tesco
Mobile survey found that almost 11 million people expect
to get a new mobile phone over Christmas and that 20% of Brits just
throw away old mobile handsets, even if they still work.
The
survey also found that two thirds of Brits have no idea of how to
recycle their gadgets with under 25s being the worst offenders -
36% of this age group admit to not knowing where their nearest recycling
plant is situated.
Andy
Dewhurst, chief executive officer of Tesco Mobile comments
“These results are very worrying. We’ve decided
to take positive steps in response to these findings and have recently
launched an online mobile recycling service – www.tescomobilerecyle.com
and re-launched our recycling envelopes in stores with the aim of
recycling 1 million mobile phones in the next year alone, helping
to reduce the number of handsets that go on the scrap heap and making
it even easier for our customers to recycle easily.”
“As
a nation, we’re becoming greater consumers of electronic goods
and with constant technological advances we’re upgrading them
more frequently too - these goods have almost become disposable.”
The
concept of Tesco Mobile
Recycle is simple - recycle any working mobile phone online
and earn recycling rewards of up to £70 of Tesco Mobile airtime
or Tesco gift vouchers. Plus, users can get 300 Green Clubcard Points,
or donate £3 to the British Red Cross.
Because
green issues are important to Tesco
Telecoms, they’ve made the mobile recycling process
very easy – and free. Users just need to visit the new Tesco
Mobile Recycle website, select their chosen handset to
see what rewards they can get for recycling and input their details
to receive a postage paid envelope. Once they have this they can
simply pop their phone in and post it back. When Tesco Mobile
have received and checked the mobile
phones, customers receive their recycling rewards.
Other
popular Christmas gift gadgets including computers, printers and
video game consoles, top the list of electronic goods that are disposed
of rather than recycled – over a quarter of all Brits admit
to binning rather than recycling them.
Other
key findings from the research revealed:
* 60% of people agree that there is not enough incentive to recycle
household items which they no longer use
* Shockingly just 7% say that they read manufacturers instructions
on how to correctly dispose of an electrical or electronic item
* Only 18% of people currently recycle their mobile phones. The
most popular “disposal” method for an old or unused
mobile phone is for it to be left lying somewhere in the owners
house or thrown in the bin
* 20% of adults, around 10 million people, still have no idea
where their local recycling point is and don’t make any
effort to recycle household waste, while 58% believe it is the
responsibility of the individual rather than the government to
recycle
About
Tesco Mobile:
Tesco Mobile is the easy way to talk and text for
less because of simple to understand pay as you go mobile tariffs.
With three low rate tariffs on all of the leading handsets, Tesco
Mobile have recently been commended by a Which? Report
announcing that Tesco Mobile offers the best service
out of all the mobile networks.
Notes
to editors:
*
Data from the study from Tesco Mobile Recycle found
that 20% of Brits expect to get a new mobile phone over Christmas,
20% also admit to throwing old mobile phones in the bin. With just
over 50 million mobile phones owned in the UK (Source: World Wireless
Forum 2006), just over 2m phones are expected to be thrown away
this after this Christmas.
- Survey conducted amongst 1,000 UK adults by Fly Research on behalf
of Tesco Mobile Recycle in October 2007
- Further information on the Tesco Mobile Recycling Programme
can be found at www.tescomobilerecycle.com
Web
Site: http://www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork
Contact
Details: For further information please contact the Tesco Telecoms
Press
Office:
Sian Evans
E: telecom@cowpr.com
T: 02076846938
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