Irish consumers latch on to mobile recycling
Thursday, February 17, 2011 - 11:48:37
UK mobile recycling firms are benefitting from an influx of interest in their services from Irish mobile users, according to Envirofone.
Over the last two years the company has paid out close to £3.5 million to Irish consumers who have traded in their old phones for a cash reward.
In the weeks since December 2010, there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of mobiles recycled by Envirofone's Irish operation, according to the Irish Examiner.
A spokesperson for the recycling operation said that this big increase in the number of people selling their old mobile phones, may be due to a rise in unemployment in Ireland. With people losing their jobs it is thought that many are digging around for ways to make a bit of extra cash and mobile recycling provides the perfect opportunity to do just that.
The spokesperson pointed out that it is not only individuals who are recycling mobiles, but also those whose businesses have failed, leaving an inventory of corporate handsets which can be converted into cash.
This is good news for charities as well, with Irish organisation, the Jack & Jill Children's Foundation, recording a record year for donations in 2010. However, there are fears that with growing unemployment, fewer people will be willing to give up the cash they receive from a mobile sale to make a charitable donation.
The organisation says that it takes around 250 mobile handsets to provide nursing care for a seriously ill child for 30 days, which means that every single donation counts. It is unclear precisely what impact the growth in selling old mobile phones in Ireland will have, but the likes of Envirofone are clearly winners in the long term, with charities hopefully following behind as the economy improves.
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