Nokia Takes Phone Recycling on the Road

Nokia has expanded its previously announced free recycling programfor its cell phones and Nokia Phone Batteries in East Africa.

Nokia, the world's largest mobile-handset maker, announced last year that it would set up mobile-phone recycling collection centers in rural and urban areas across East Africa.The initiative is part of Nokia's environmental policy of reducingelectronic waste.

Uganda became the fifth African country to adopt the "take-back"campaign, following the February launches of the initiative inKenya in East Africa and Nigeria, Senegal and the Ivory Coast inWest Africa. Nokia has set up "take-back" collection points at allof its authorized customer care centers in those countries. InUganda, Midcom and Simba Telecom are the authorized centers.

"Nokia wants to ensure that the environment in which we do businessis protected," said Nicholas Maina, Nokia East Africa's customercare manager, during the launch of the campaign in Kampala lastweek. "That is why we are asking customers who may not know how todispose of their mobile phones and accessories to bring them to ourcare centers for safe disposal or recycling."

From the collection centers, the discarded phones and accessorieswill be shipped to Europe for recycling. The company will only userecyclers that comply with Nokia's recycling standards, Maina said.Nokia has a recycling plant in Europe and is considering setting upa similar facility in Africa.

The campaign is due to launch in South Africa and Cameroon nextmonth.

Electronic waste is expected to skyrocket as users upgradeelectronics such as mobile phones and computers more often.