Envirofone.com enables customers to receive up to £100 in return for recycling their old mobile phone using its online trading platform. The programme with co2balance, named Change for Change, will encourage customers who recycle their mobile phones to donate £1.12 to a co2balance initiative in Kenya, which uses energy efficient stoves to help reduce the release of carbon dioxide emissions.
Suzanne Longworth of co2balance explained: “Working with Envirofone.com, we are hoping to create an easy and simple way for people to manage a small portion of their carbon emissions, which cumulatively could have a significant impact. The phones’ emissions will be offset by our Energy Efficient Stove Project, which provides energy saving stoves to local families in Kenya, lowering the level of carbon dioxide released from burning firewood for cooking. The stoves also reduce the amount of firewood needed for cooking by 70%, helping to prevent deforestation and decreasing the amount of time spent collecting firewood.”
Ofcom has estimated that there are 74 million mobile connections in the UK, and according to research by co2balance the average mobile phone generates 105kgs of carbon dioxide over an 18 month lifespan. This means mobile phones may be contributing almost 7.35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, mostly through charging, over an 18 month period.
Nick Brown, managing director at Envirofone.com, added: “Although an individual carbon offset may not seem like it will make a huge impact, it is the collective efforts of consumers that can make a real difference. Recycling your old phone is a great way to make some extra cash when times are tough, and just a small donation can help us to work together to do our bit to combat climate change.”