UK to Scrap 2 Million Mobile Phones Over Christmas Period
A new study from Tesco Mobile - a UK based MVNO operated by a supermarket - 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.
Tesco Mobile has set up a recycling service and will offer 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.
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
- 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
Posted to the site on 11th November 2007
