Is Recycling All About the Money?
A recent poll by ABI Research conducted in October shines a light on one of the most important reason why people recycle electronics. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, 38 percent said they recycled an outdated mobile handset, and fewer than 5 percent of those recycled without receiving any kind of compensation.
Furthermore, of the consumers who hadn’t yet recycled their used handsets, 98 percent would recycle at a store, charity, manufacturer or refurbishing company, but only “in return for some compensation” such as cash, store credit or a tax deduction.
In 2007, the recycling rate for cell phones was just 10 percent. Photo: Flickr/Lee Bennett
According to the research, women are slightly more likely than men to recycle handsets and consumers under 40 years of age are slightly less likely to do so than those over 40.
Interestingly, ABI conducted a study earlier this year and found that younger consumers showed a greater willingness to pursue “eco-groovy” mobile activities than older ones.
“Green issues were not even a talking point a couple years back. Now, subscribers of all age groups are expressing awareness of and interest in eco-friendly device and service incentives,” said ABI Senior Analyst Jeff Orr.
“Many consumers in the U.S. are prepared to help the environment by recycling their old handsets, but only if there is a financial incentive to do so,” comments ABI Research Industry Analyst Michael Morgan.
Companies are looking to improve their “green” image, especially when it comes to recycling. Sprint aims to eventually recycle 90 percent of its handsets, but, according to ABI, has only achieved a return rate of about 30 percent so far.
Sprint recently came in at No. 15 on Newsweek’s environmental ranking of America’s 500 largest corporations. The company is expanding its initiatives and focus to reduce its carbon footprint.
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The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Chris
posted on December 15th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
It is great to recycle cell phones, but what about all the chargers that you need to charge the phones? They never make the new phones to fit old chargers. Is there any way to recycle the chargers?
Brooke
posted on December 16th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Good post. Recycling all of these items just isn’t a habit for most people who don’t even think to take the extra steps to recycle – so the compensation helps overcome the hurdles and make it worth their extra effort. Maybe when there are easier paths for people to participate the compensation will be less important, but likely it will continue to play a role.
Most major companies from our experience aren’t as concerned about the costs because they are also concerned about the intangible risks and benefits to their brand image. Even if a project is cost neutral (ie, they don’t save any money but don’t have to pay more) companies want to participate because it is good for them to illustrate their corporate citizenship.
For smaller companies that aren’t as concerned about their brands – it is not all that different from the residential piece. That extra incentive of saving money or even making a little money is what pushes them to take action.
Dori
posted on December 16th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I’ve been recycling for 30 years starting with cans, newspaper and plastic. I search until I find a drop off site and will hold on to items to drop off when I’m heading in any direction around my state. I’ve never received a dime for anything I’ve recycled and would pay if necessary before I’d dispose of something to put in a landfill. Thankfully, many businesses will take recyclables relating to the products they sell.
Maurizio Maranghi
posted on January 27th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I really hope no one thinks about money, but rather our Earth and the environment, when they recycle. I hope they thing about the future for their children’s children. I hope they think about their carbon footprint, etc. etc.
- Maurizio Maranghi -