Nokia SA hopes to spread its cellphone "take-back" initiative into other Sub-Saharan countries. The company has over 30 mobile phone recycling points in its outlets around the country and plans to open more on the continent.
"We rolled out around 35 recycling bins to independent care points in SA. End-users can bring their unused cellphones for recycling," says Matthew Channing, Nokia SA head of care, Sub-Saharan Africa.
"In the next few weeks, we will be expanding to other African countries, including Kenya, Uganda and Senegal, and in the future we hope to have a recycling partner in SA so the whole process can be done locally," says Channing.
"More than 240 000 tons of raw material can be saved if each of the three billion cellphone users brought in one unused device," says Nokia director of environmental affairs Markus Tercho. This would be the environmental equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.
Media reports state that Nokia claims to facilitate the largest voluntary recycling scheme in the mobile industry, with collection points in more than 80 countries.
Nokia supplies the bins to the centres, and collects and consolidates the phones before sending them overseas to recycling partners. Channing explains Nokia takes in all unwanted mobile devices, not only those manufactured by it. "The initiative is still in its early stages and Nokia is beginning to drive the marketing aspect with print adverts to come."
"Nokia is working hard to make recycling easier, providing more information and expanding our take-back programmes," says Tercho.
Africa Analysis analyst Dobek Pater says the initiative is a novelty in Africa, yet he is sceptical of the support and infrastructure available on the continent. He questions the viability of the programme, stating that SA, unlike Europe, does not have its own facilities to recycle mobile phone batteries.
Pater adds that Nokia wants to do more than ship thousands upon thousands of handsets per year. "It's nice way of it showing that it is an environmentally-friendly company."
Related story:
Nokia ups green drive
Share