Vodafone - Mobile Phone Recycling
Vodafone UK
Vodafone was one of the earliest adopters of mobile phone reuse and recycling in the UK and continues to promote reuse and recycling of handsets to all its customers. For example, all Vodafone stores in the UK accept unwanted handsets and accessories from any mobile phone network. Customers can also send them via Freepost. Customers have incentives for recycling their unwanted mobiles, but they can also choose to donate the proceeds from their old handsets to charity. In 2007/2008, Vodafone raised over £1million for charity through their mobile phone recycling initiatives.
In addition, Vodafone has launched a major initiative with their top 100 corporate clients to encourage them to recycle unwanted handsets. Regenersis, in partnership with Vodafone, has developed a full kit of materials for these clients – including a website, intranet banners, containers, floor stickers, posters, and email messages – all of which can be tailored to each client's requirements.
Nicola Woodhead, Senior Corporate Responsibility Manager at Vodafone said, "We have been using Regenersis for our handset reuse and recycling since 2002. Their commitment to environmental excellence is exemplary and they go the extra mile in terms of providing value-added services."
Vodafone Netherlands
"Offering recycling services to our clients is an integrated part of our CSR and Brand strategy, both locally and at group level.
Our goal is to collect and recycle as much equipment as possible not only to fulfil our targets within our CSR policy, but also to show our commitment to safeguard the environment, help provide affordable communications to developping economies thanks to the re-use aspect, and lastly to help raise money for our caritative projects with our partners such as Stichting Opkikker (www.opkikker.nl).
We offer recycling services to all our clients, whether they are individuals, corporates or institutions. We promote the services on our website (where visitors can download a prepaid label), in our shops and at our B2B clients. We have developed customised collection boxes and envelops for all these services.
Regenersis offered us a complete, end to end solution, from collection to process, resale and recycling, supported by systems allowing full transparency and traceability for all products collected. Regenersis also has all the accreditations and certifications to support us.
We enjoy a win/win relationships spanned over many years. We considered Regenersis more like a partner than a supplier. We appreciate their innovation mindset, flexibility and responsiveness. We have launched various successful joint programs.
Recycling is still not sufficiently into the mind of people. We shall improve the awareness of these official recycling services and collection points to all mobile phone users, so their old handsets dont end up in a drawer or in an open air recycling plant. We need to ensure these old products are collected, recycled and reused in the proper way, using offical and transparent channels, and there is no dumping of waste into developping economies where there is no recycling infrastructure. "
Danielle Puma
Manager CSR/ Vodafone Netherlands Foundation
