Galery

3

2

1

Anastasia Balezdrova 

How often does it happen to you to rearrange your cabinets and drawers and to find old mobile phones, chargers, batteries, headphones and a bunch of other accessories, which for years have been completely useless? And did you ever think that the once super trendy phone with great design that today seems like a small brick can be used to create new objects? 

Increasingly in many countries there are campaigns for recycling old mobile phones. It protects the environment from heavy metal pollution and saves money because the plastics and metals in them can be used in the manufacture of new batteries and other objects. 

In Athens today was held a campaign for recycling old mobile phones and accessories for them. Residents of all ages from the most central and luxurious in many ways Kolonaki district in the Greek capital brought and placed in a large transparent box mobile phones, chargers, telephone cables and batteries. 

Here's what Nafsika Zevgoli, responsible for corporate social responsibility programs for the biggest mobile operator Vodafone, said for GRReporter. 

"Our program for the recycling of mobile phones and their accessories began in 2003. It is implemented in all outlets of the company, in the stores of company clients, in 400 scout organizations and other places. We have a total of 1000 collection points in Greece, where anyone can go and leave their old mobile phone for recycling. 

We started the program because we decided that since we sell mobile phones it is better to contribute to recycling instead of disposing them in the garbage. It is very important that people understand that mobile phones and their accessories contain materials that can harm the environment. Instead, they can contribute to saving precious natural resources, because these materials can be used again to produce other products.” 

Batteries are one of the most expensive energy sources. During their production used are valuable resources such as gold, silver, platinum, and also mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc and nickel. If discarded among garbage they are particularly harmful to the environment and men. According Nafsika the purpose of the recycling program is to promote ecological thinking and behavior and the data show that there is progress. 

"In recent years we record an increase in participation of people in recycling. Data for last year show a 64 per cent participation increase and a 46 per cent increase in the collection of mobile phones”. 

The campaigns are held within the framework of corporate social responsibility programs. Nafsika explained that these programs are multifaceted and related to all functions of the companies. 

"The principle lies in the fact that every company must monitor and seek to reduce the possible negative consequences to the environment and to support any positive function of their business. Our program is linked to the environment and is targeted to Energy and Recycling. We implement a large number of programs for saving energy and using renewable energy sources. We strive to recycle all waste from the functions of the company products such as paper, toner cartridges, lead-acid batteries, electrical and electronic equipment, light bulbs and others. 

One other area of ​​corporate social responsibility in which the company has involved its activities in recent years is the use of its technology in health care through telemedicine system. "It is being applied in 30 remote areas in Greece. Thus, people, living on remote islands for example, have the opportunity to receive skilled medical attention without having to travel to any major city. For example, a resident of the island of Gavdos could go to the medical center and the doctor there can make a cardiogram with the specialized equipment. Then he sends it over the network to a qualified doctor in Athens, who in turn examines it and forwards his recommendations. 

Half an hour before the campaign ended, people who have given their phones for recycling gathered around the table. After a lottery one of them won a tablet computer, two received smart phones and other seven - solar chargers. 

The next campaign will take place next Saturday at Aghia Sofia’s Square in Neo Psychiko neighborhood.