In the US, servicer provider Tangoe has introduced a new service to help businesses dispose of out of date or worn-out mobile phones more responsibly.
The programme is called Mobile Renew and alerts companies when equipment is reaching a point at which it may be out of date. Tangoe says that when a phone is between 12-15 months old, it is still worth sending it to a mobile
phone recycler, but that after that point a company is less likely to get much value.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only 10 percent of mobile phones in the United States are currently recycled. The rest end up in landfills or sit in drawers.
Robert Whitmore, vice president of professional services for Tangoe, says that when a business turns a phone in, it will receive a preset price for the asset, if it still has any value. Whitmore says that Tangoe will alert
users when they are eligible for an upgrade, which can also help inspire the reuse of phones at an early stage of the lifecycle.
If something is too old to be used, Tangoe has committed to disposing of it responsibly and they are negotiating with a number of office retailers to arrange mobile phone drop boxes at retail locations. Any phones that are collected will be donated to the company’s chosen charity.