Mobile Phone Recyclers are Handling Stolen Goods

An investigation has revealed that some of the UK's major mobile phone recyclers are putting their reputations and those of national charities and major retailers, at risk by handling and selling stolen goods. Phone recycling is a popular way of raising money for charity, with donations given in return for old or unused mobile phones. Recipero, who coincidentally offer a service for checking if handsets are stolen - carried out the investigation, sent handsets registered as stolen to the four biggest UK recycling companies via recycling schemes advocated in major retail outlets.

Within a very short period donations had been made to the nominated charities, some of which are the largest in the UK, with some of the phones being resold to consumers in the UK or abroad. Unwittingly, charities are receiving money from the sale of stolen goods and major high street stores are leaving themselves open to accusations of a lack of corporate responsibility.

"It is worrying that in the name of charity, stolen phones are being sold on to the unsuspecting customer," says Adrian Portlock, Recipero's Managing Director. "Recycling has become a very big and profitable business with companies re-selling second-hand handsets to UK and overseas consumers. However, they are failing to check the crime or blocked status of the phones they are handling and putting their own, as well as their retail and charity partners' reputations at risk."

With an estimated 15 million mobile phones being replaced every year in the UK alone, mobile recycling has become big business. As well as the positive environmental impact that recycling has, many handsets donated to recyclers result in donations to charities worth up to

Posted to the site on 10th November 2006