Nokia India on Thursday launched its 'Take Back' recycling initiative in Hyderabad as a part of the nationwide rollout of the program over 25 cities in India by year end.
The programme is aimed at creating consumer awareness on the benefits of recycling old phones,chargers and accessories.
The initiative aims at inducing behavioural change among Indian mobile users to recycle their used handsets in an environmentally sustainable way.
"Nokia will plant a tree sapling, for every handset dropped, irrespective of brand or model, into one of its recycling bins and also offer surprise gifts to the consumers.
Globally, the Nokia Take-Back program has successfully been rolled out in over 85 countries with over 5000 recycling bins," Ambrish Bakaya, director corporate affairs, Nokia India Ltd told reporters.
Bakaya said that in India, the programme was initially rolled out in Chennai and will soon be launched across Coimbatore, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bhubneshwar, Chandigrah, Jaipur, Dehradun, Ludhiana and Delhi.
Recycling bins have already been placed at over 1,300 Nokia Priority Dealers and Nokia Care Centres nationally, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Bakaya said, 'ecological sustainability and environmental responsibility have transcended from bring industry buzzwords to critical imperatives for business globally. With global warming and ecological imbalances threatening the future of the world, its time for swift and committed action."
As a responsible leader, we realise we have a unique opportunity to make a difference by practising and propagating environmentally sustainable practices.
"Take Back, is our commitment to protecting the environment and encouraging our customers to inculcate responsible mobile waste management practices. Our launch in Hyderabad will further accelerate the momentum of our Take-Back campaign", he said.
He said that 'Take-Back' campaign has collected over three tons of e-waste from four cities in 45 days. Also, 68000 pieces of old devices and accessories were collected.
Bakaya said only 17 per cent of the mobile users are aware of this campaign and 'our aim is spread the word'.
