Mobile phone recycling continues to be viewed as a priority in all parts of the world. In Qatar, Qtel has just launched a new service for the disposal of old mobile phones, batteries and accessories.
Qtel shops will be providing corrugated drop boxes across the country where people can deposit their old mobiles.
To encourage use of the new service, Qtel are offering a monthly raffle to win prizes such as a new BlackBerry smartphone. To be entered into the prize draw, customers need to remove the SIM card and fill out their details on a special envelope, tear off and keep a numbered stub before placing the envelope into one of the drop boxes.
Qtel are addressing the problem of lack of provision for the proper disposal of items such as mobile phones with their e-Waste Recycling Programme which will give a service that will keep Qatar clear of potentially hazardous and contaminating heavy metals.
At present no facilities for recycling mobiles exist in Qatar so Qtel is working with a recycling service, Enviroserve, which will collect the e-waste and ship it to a facility in Singapore.
Stuart Fleming, Enviroserve CEO said
“At the Singapore facility, each phone will be pulled apart and destroyed completely for recycling. The recycled materials will not be used for manufacturing mobile phones or accessories again,”.
According to Fleming, one mobile phone has the capability to contaminate 600,000 litres of water because mobile phones are made up of components that contain cadmium, lithium, mercury, lead and beryllium.
“These can kill people,” he said.