Globe opens Project 1 Phone, the biggest
mobile recycling program in the Philippines to create awareness on proper
electronic waste (e-waste) disposal and help counter its harmful effects on
health and the environment.
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| Improper disposal of e-waste such as non-working phones, batteries, and chargers is hazardous to health and the environment |
The company expects its 45 million
subscribers nationwide to support the campaign.
“Obsolete and discarded electronic and electrical devices which we call
e-waste often end up in landfills and incinerators, causing toxic metals to be
released into the air and seep into the ground and waterways. In fact, studies
show that one single cadmium battery has the potential to pollute up to 600,000
liters of water if not disposed off properly,” said Yoly Crisanto, SVP, Globe
Corporate Communications.
She added:
“Globe is helping address this problem through Project 1 Phone which espouses
correct disposal of e-waste-- in this case mobile phones, tablets, chargers and
batteries to prevent health problems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is also one way to concretize the
company’s commitment to sustainability.”
According to a report by the United Nations
Environment Programme entitled “Recycling – from E Waste to Resources,"
the amount of e-waste being produced globally could rise by as much as 500
percent over the next decade. On the
other hand, DoSomething.Org reported that about 20 million to 50 million metric
tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year with only 12.5 percent being
recycled.
Responsible recycling is identified as the
most effective solution to the growing e-waste problem. Most electronic devices
such as old phones yield precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, and
palladium as well as plastics which can be recovered for re-manufacture. Less
energy is also used in recycling than mining virgin metals and producing virgin
plastics.
For the campaign’s initial run, Globe will
put up recycle bins in in 21 Globe Stores
from various parts of the country (For the complete list, please visit the Globe
Telecom website http://www.globe.com.ph/globebridgecom).
Schools, corporations, local government
units, and other private and non-government organizations are also being
encouraged to participate in the program by adopting recycle bins. Interested parties may email Globe at [email protected].
Project 1 Phone is Globe Telecom’s second
nationwide mobile recycling campaign after the iRecover, iRecycle Program
conducted in 2011.
