Article: Help the environment by recycling your devices

Monday June 8, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 240,000 tonnes of raw materials can be conserved if only all three billion handphone owners in the world recycle their devices.

Nokia's environmental coordinator Nellie Abdullah said this would be equal to taking four million cars off the roads.

"We can recycle 80% of the handphone parts. Their plastic cover can be made into traffic cones and the charger's cord into anti-static mats," she said during The Star's Green Day Celebration yesterday.

However, she said only 3% of the 6,500 handphone owners surveyed worldwide by Nokia recycled their devices.

Nellie said the company wanted to encourage its customers to be responsible citizens and recycle.

The company collected 230 pieces of various handphone parts during the event, adding to the 2,000 devices it had already collected since its recycling scheme began last July.

Those recycling their devices also stood the chance of winning a new handphone by guessing the number of used batteries in a glass case and writing a witty slogan for it.

They also received a token from Nokia, saying that they had adopted a tree under the recycling scheme.

The event saw the public out in full force to participate in various activities, such as tree climbing using safety equipment, "planned protests", urging people to use more renewable energy, canopy walks and nature excursions.

On hand to entertain the crowds were deejays from Red FM and Suria FM, who kept them on their toes with quizzes on environmental issues and gave out goodie bags.

At about noon, popular TV3 presenter Karam Singh Walia joined other television personalities and celebrities in a discussion on environmental issues.

The Green Day Celebration 2009 was organised by The Star and sponsored by Bonuslink and Philips Malaysia.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Go green live green 8 June 2009