Only 3% of cell phone users recycle their phones, even though most of these are old handsets that won't be used again, but they are stilled stored at home - these were the results of a consumer research published today by Nokia. Three of four asked people have also added that they have never even thought of recycling their devices, and approximatively half of those asked didn't even know of this possibility.
During the survey 6500 people have been asked from 13 countries: Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Niger, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil. The aim of the research was to let Nokia reveal consumer habits in more detail and to obtain information for the company's phone recycling program in order to increase the rate of recycling of phones that are not used anymore.
Markus Terho, Nokia's director of environmental affairs has reported that it turned out from the survey that very few handsets are recycled after they reach the end of their life cycle. Many have simply didn't even hear about the fact that these old phones, that are not used anymore can be recycled and how can this be done. It is important for Nokia to make this simpler by providing the necessary information and extending their global phone recycling program.
If every one of the three billion cell phone users worldwide would take back just one handset, that would result in saving 240.000 tons of raw materials, which would make the emission of gases that cause greenhouse effect in such a manner as if there would be 4 million cars less on the roads. If we cooperate the small steps that everyone take can bring about a huge change.
The survey highlights that no matter that people have 5 phones on average, a very small amount of these are recycled after they are not used anymore. Only 3% of the respondents have said that they have given back a handset for recycling, but very few, only 4% of the devices end up in the trash. Most of the devices, about 44% of them are lying around unused. Others lengthen the life cycle of their handsets in a different way: quarter of the respondents pass them on to friends or family members and 16% sell their old handsets, mostly on the emerging markets.
74% of the consumers worldwide have said that they haven't even thought of recycling their phones, but a similar amount, 72% have thought that recycling is very important from the point of view of environment protection. This contradiction has been visible in many countries, in Indonesia 88% of the respondents didn't think about recycling their unwanted handsets, this ratio is 84% in India and 78% in Brazil, Sweden, Germany and Finland.
The survey has clearly shown that there are so few people recycling their devices simply because they don't even know of this possibility. As a matter of fact 80% of any Nokia handset can be recycled, their valuable materials can be used for example in water boilers, benches, tooth fillings or even saxophones or other musical instruments that are made of metal. We can say that on the average half of the respondents didn't know that older phones can be recycled in such a way, the smallest numbers were in India (17%) and in Indonesia (29%), the best ratios were in the United Kingdom (80%) and in Finland and Sweden (66%).
Mr. Terho told that when using the best recycling techniques, practically nothing gets thrown out. 65-80% of Nokia phones can be recycled. The non-reusable plastic parts get burnt, thus providing the necessary energy for the recycling process, while other materials get frittered away and then used in road foundations, thus nothing at all gets thrown away.
Many respondents, even if they knew about recycling, didn't know how can this be done. Two third of the respondents have said that they don't know how should they recycle their old handsets, while 71% didn't know where can they do this.
Nokia has phone collecting points in 85 countries worldwide, this is the largest voluntary program of this kind in the mobile industry. Old handsets can be handed down in Nokia stores and in almost 5000 Nokia Care Centers. The nearest collection point can be found at www.nokia.com/werecycle.
As a response to the revealed information Nokia will try to attract attention with campaigns and promotions to the importance of recycling old cell phones, chargers and accessories that are not used anymore, and they will also provide information about where recycling can be done. The company also plans to further develop their recycling program: they want to install a number of collecting boxes in larger stores, thus attracting attention to the importance of recycling.
During the survey 6500 people have been asked from 13 countries: Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Niger, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil. The aim of the research was to let Nokia reveal consumer habits in more detail and to obtain information for the company's phone recycling program in order to increase the rate of recycling of phones that are not used anymore.
Markus Terho, Nokia's director of environmental affairs has reported that it turned out from the survey that very few handsets are recycled after they reach the end of their life cycle. Many have simply didn't even hear about the fact that these old phones, that are not used anymore can be recycled and how can this be done. It is important for Nokia to make this simpler by providing the necessary information and extending their global phone recycling program.
If every one of the three billion cell phone users worldwide would take back just one handset, that would result in saving 240.000 tons of raw materials, which would make the emission of gases that cause greenhouse effect in such a manner as if there would be 4 million cars less on the roads. If we cooperate the small steps that everyone take can bring about a huge change.
The survey highlights that no matter that people have 5 phones on average, a very small amount of these are recycled after they are not used anymore. Only 3% of the respondents have said that they have given back a handset for recycling, but very few, only 4% of the devices end up in the trash. Most of the devices, about 44% of them are lying around unused. Others lengthen the life cycle of their handsets in a different way: quarter of the respondents pass them on to friends or family members and 16% sell their old handsets, mostly on the emerging markets.
74% of the consumers worldwide have said that they haven't even thought of recycling their phones, but a similar amount, 72% have thought that recycling is very important from the point of view of environment protection. This contradiction has been visible in many countries, in Indonesia 88% of the respondents didn't think about recycling their unwanted handsets, this ratio is 84% in India and 78% in Brazil, Sweden, Germany and Finland.
The survey has clearly shown that there are so few people recycling their devices simply because they don't even know of this possibility. As a matter of fact 80% of any Nokia handset can be recycled, their valuable materials can be used for example in water boilers, benches, tooth fillings or even saxophones or other musical instruments that are made of metal. We can say that on the average half of the respondents didn't know that older phones can be recycled in such a way, the smallest numbers were in India (17%) and in Indonesia (29%), the best ratios were in the United Kingdom (80%) and in Finland and Sweden (66%).
Mr. Terho told that when using the best recycling techniques, practically nothing gets thrown out. 65-80% of Nokia phones can be recycled. The non-reusable plastic parts get burnt, thus providing the necessary energy for the recycling process, while other materials get frittered away and then used in road foundations, thus nothing at all gets thrown away.
Many respondents, even if they knew about recycling, didn't know how can this be done. Two third of the respondents have said that they don't know how should they recycle their old handsets, while 71% didn't know where can they do this.
Nokia has phone collecting points in 85 countries worldwide, this is the largest voluntary program of this kind in the mobile industry. Old handsets can be handed down in Nokia stores and in almost 5000 Nokia Care Centers. The nearest collection point can be found at www.nokia.com/werecycle.
As a response to the revealed information Nokia will try to attract attention with campaigns and promotions to the importance of recycling old cell phones, chargers and accessories that are not used anymore, and they will also provide information about where recycling can be done. The company also plans to further develop their recycling program: they want to install a number of collecting boxes in larger stores, thus attracting attention to the importance of recycling.
