News story

22nd December 2004

Local MP Welcomes Scheme to Recycle Used Mobile Phones after Christmas
 

Northavon MP Steve Webb is encouraging local people to back a Christmas initiative to recycle old mobile phones for charity.

Thousands of people will receive a new mobile for Christmas, and will be throwing out their old one. Some of the UK's leading charities have teamed up with specialist recycling company "The Recycling Appeal" to take people's redundant phones off their hands. The phones are then refurbished and resold, and a substantial portion of the proceeds goes to the charities. The charities involved in the initiative include: Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and the Royal National Institute of the Blind, and those who donate phones can nominate which charity they want to benefit.

There are an estimated 75 million redundant mobiles in the UK. Mobile batteries contain cadmium, a dangerous toxic and carcinogenic substance, which poisons the soil in landfill sites and can cause kidney failure in humans.

Welcoming the scheme, Steve Webb said:

"This is an excellent initiative. Every mobile donated will generate valuable funds for the charities involved, and will at the same time reduce the number of redundant phones that end up contaminating our landfill sites.

"I fully support what these organisations are doing, and would encourage everyone in South Gloucestershire who receives a new mobile this Christmas to give their old one as a Christmas present to charity."

The scheme is also collecting empty printer cartridges to recycle and raise further funds for charity.

Those wishing to donate a mobile phone or printer cartridge can call 08712 50 50 50 or visit www.recyclingappeal.com, state which of the charities they wish to support, and ask for a FREEPOST envelope, which can then be put in the post.