EABW REPORTER

KAMPALA, UGANDA - An initiative aimed at eliminating old mobile phones and accessories in order to protect the environment from electronic waste in Uganda started early last week organised by the worlds' largest handset maker, Nokia.

Nokia has championed the environmental recycling campaign in Uganda where Over 400 phones and 400 accessories were collected at the recycling drive held in Kampala from November 20 - 21, 2010.

Nokia's Senior Sustainability Manager for Middle East and Africa Elisabeth Tanguy said Nokia was pioneering the recycling drive in order to promote efforts to safeguard the environment.

She said, "This is an exciting way of safeguarding our environment from electronic waste by recycling old phones and making them into new products. These old phones and accessories can be used to make bicycles, dental fillings, kettles and many more."

"Uganda is one of the leading users of Nokia phones and products across the world.

This implies that Nokia is well positioned to take a lead role in this key part of corporate responsibility in Uganda," explained Dorothy Ooko, Nokia's Communication manager for East and Southern Africa who was also present for the Take Back and Recycle campaign.

The take-back service, offered free of charge to consumers, will help boost Nokia's leading position inhandling electronic waste (e-waste) from the industry, currently estimated to be between 20m-50m tonnes.

The Ugandan market reflects much of global survey findings which show that very few consumers are aware that they can recycle their disused mobile devices and accessories. Currently the recycling programme has 5,000 collection points in 85 countries- Nokia tries to make it easy as possible for people to recycle old and unwanted devices, chargers and mobile accessories

Phone users in Uganda can continue to take their old phones and accessories to Nokia authorized collection points at Simba Telecom and Midcom where they will receive a recycled article in exchange.