Thanks to a recycling program conducted by mobile phone company O2, over three million devices were diverted from going to landfills. The company encourages consumers to dispose of their old phones sustainably and provides a platform where people can recycle and contribute to saving the planet.
O2 Recycling Program
The O2 Recycle program started ten years ago. Since then, O2 has received and recycled over three million phones, which is roughly 450 tons of waste, from about 2.7 million customers. Through the scheme, customers can trade in their old devices for cash. When a mobile user is looking to upgrade their phone, they get directed to the program because it’s integrated into online upgrading procedures.
O2 is in partnership with Redeem, which is a global recycling service provider. Since the program began, O2 has paid out £226m to customers in exchange for their used devices.
What Happens After The Devices Are Traded In?
Once the devices get traded in, they are data-wiped, then recycled or reused. However, 95% of the devices O2 receives were in good condition and resold back into the markets. Most of these resales took place within the UK, which means there were significantly fewer carbon emissions from transport. Additionally, the used devices provide UK customers with cost-effective options.
The program has become more and more popular over the last few years, with about £500,000 paid out per week as part of the trade-in service.
Nicola Green, O2’s director of corporate affairs, said:
“As a responsible business, we recognize the importance of doing the right thing for our customers and for the planet. We’re extremely proud that, over the last ten years, our pioneering O2 Recycle scheme has saved 450 tons of waste from landfill – that’s the equivalent of thirty-five London buses.”
Supply Chain
In 2010, O2 was first awarded a Carbon Trust Standard for supply chains for successfully reducing operational emissions. The company was awarded level 3 status for the first time in 2017. Level 3 is the highest level of supply chain management. O2 managed to get level 3 status through contractual engagements they made with suppliers to enroll in carbon reduction programs. In June 2019, O2 achieved recertification to The Carbon Trust Standard for Supply Chain at level 3 for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, O2 plans to eliminate all single-use plastics from its branded accessories by the end of 2019. The company will have innovative eco-packaging to reduce its environmental impact. More recently, Google and UC San Diego have taken phone reuse a step further by turning old phones into cloud servers, repurposing 2,000 discarded devices into a low-carbon computing cluster for students and researchers.
