Samsung has become the first electronics company to introduce a comprehensive consumer take-back programme of old mobile phones in India.
Other non-governmental companies and e-waste collectors have tried similar programmes in the past, but the programme set up by Samsung enables consumers to call their local collection centres to dispose of any of Samsung’s end-of-lfe electrical products.
The programme has been set up to try to curb the growing mound of electronic waste and un-environmentally friendly recycling processes in India.
Consumers can return any Samsung product from old phones to computer monitors to washing machines at the 291 collection centres that have been set up in Indian cities.
Ruchika Batra, Samsung’s general manager for Southwest Asia said: “Consumers should be able to drop smaller products such as mobile phones themselves…If the consumer resides within the city limits, we will not charge them anything to take back the used items.”
Batra explained that Samsung have introduced the scheme as part of a green initiative which spans the whole lifecyle of the product and she said that Samsung have already proven their eco-friendly credentials by introducing products such as solar charging mobile phones.
All collected electric waste will be given to authorised government agencies for disposal.