Mobile Phone Handset Recycling

Aurom Environmental works to ensure that the minimum amount of waste occurs as a result of the recycling of mobile phone handsets.

The disposal of electronic appliances in landfill sites or through incineration creates a number of environmental problems. Telecommunications is one of the growth areas of electronics, with mobile phones playing a major role. Research suggests that there are over 24 million users in the UK today.

The problems associated with mobile phones are firstly the toxic content of the rechargeable battery and the other components such as the LCD display. Secondly a considerable amount of world resources is lost without maximising recycling of equipment.

Recycling targets will not bite in Europe until 2006 and from now until then innovative and dynamic corporates will be able to take advantage of this window of opportunity and develop environmentally and economically sound responses.

Aurom Environmental divide the phones into three categories:

[a] Phones that can be reused - normally exported outside Western Europe. Even though a piece of equipment has reached the end of its life in one situation this does not mean that it is no longer useable. By this means the life of products can be extended which is environmentally more desirable than recycling.

[b] Phones that can be broken down for parts - separation of reuseable and recyclable components.

[c] Remaining unsalvageable parts that are sent for safe disposal and a Duty of Care Certificate issued.