Nokia extends recycling program to include Nokia Flagship Store drop-off,
free return envelope and dedicated toll-free line
NEW YORK, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nokia today launched a
recycling campaign with a goal to collect 100,000 unwanted mobile devices
between now and America Recycles Day 2007, November 15th. The campaign will
kick off tonight at an International House (I-House) event at the Nokia
Flagship Store in Manhattan, where Nokia and global conservation
organization WWF will highlight contributions that businesses can make to
address environmental issues and promote environmental awareness.
According to The US Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental
Benefits Calculator, taking back and recycling just 10,000 cell phones
conserves enough resources to power 19 US homes for one year. It would
reduce "greenhouse gas" equaling the same as if we removed 14 passenger
cars from the road for one year.
Further enhancing its already well-established online program for
downloading postage-paid return labels for recycling unwanted phones,
batteries and accessories, Nokia today is giving consumers have even more
options. These include in-store drop off of phones, batteries and
accessories, the opportunity to pick up a postage-paid green mailer at the
Nokia Flagship Store, and a new nation-wide toll free number 1-87 RECYCLES
(877-329-2537) which goes live today.
"Environmental responsibility is an obligation for all -- corporations,
public institutions and citizens alike," said Rick Simonson, I-house board
of trustee's member and chief financial officer for Nokia. "If we all play
our part, the seemingly small individual efforts can collectively make a
significant impact on our community and our future environment."
To complement its ongoing recycling initiatives, Mayor Bloomberg's
office commends the move and challenges New Yorkers to take part in
recycling their unwanted mobile phones, an activity intended to culminate
on the America Recycles Day, November 15th.
"We applaud Nokia's effort to encourage the proper recycling of
unwanted electronics," said Rohit Aggarwala, Director of the Mayor's Office
of Long Term Planning and Sustainability. "We hope that every New Yorker
will join in and be a part of this effort."
In an attempt to better understand what motivates consumers to
participate in such recycling programs, Nokia surveyed 400 New Yorkers and
asked the question, "What have you done with the mobile devices that you no
longer use?" The majority -- 60 percent -- stated that not only have they
kept their phones and stored them away, but that a large proportion of
consumers are not even aware of the options available for recycling their
old phones and devices.
"WWF is in its fourth year of working with Nokia on joint initiatives
to create environmental awareness and to demonstrate how together we all
can adopt and environmentally friendly lifestyles - both at home and at
work," commented Suzanne Apple, vice president and managing director,
Business and Industry, WWF. "Tonight's program is another example of
Nokia's commitment to environmental sustainability."
"Nokia has been at the forefront of driving 'green thinking' for years
and manages environmental issues throughout the life of a phone. This
starts with the careful choice of the materials it is made from, and ends
with making sure it can easily be brought back for proper recycling" said
David Conrad, head of Nokia's North American environmental activities. "We
encourage people to take advantage of the many options they now have to do
their part in recycling unwanted products."
The Nokia New York Flagship Store is located at 5 East 57th St. (at
Fifth Avenue) in Manhattan and additional details from the Nokia survey key
findings can be handled through the U.S. communication team.
More information on Nokia's commitment to the environment, including
how Nokia develops sustainable products, implements sustainable practices
and demands sustainable behavior from employees and suppliers can be found
at http://www.nokia.com/environment .
For more information on I-House, please visit:
http://www.ihouse-nyc.org
For more information on WWF, the global conservation organization,
please visit: http://www.panda.org
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and
growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. Nokia
makes a wide range of mobile devices and provides people with experiences
in music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games and business
mobility through these devices. Nokia also provides equipment, solutions
and services for communications networks.
Media Inquiries:
Nokia Communications
Tel. +1 972 894 4573
Email: communication.corp@nokia.com
|
