Vodafone Group has unveiled an initiative to increase the number of mobile devices which are reused or recycled, in a bid to further burnish its green credentials.
The UK-headquartered group stated new measures will be rolled-out in its European markets in the coming months, without revealing exactly where the programme will be implemented first.
Vodafone intends to offer customers device insurance, support and quick repair services; implement an online site where people can arrange to trade in old phones; encourage more customers to recycle their phones; and start selling refurbished smartphones.
The operator noted the new offerings will augment existing trade-in, device buy-back and repair services in most Vodafone markets.
Vodafone also joined forces with Recommerce for what it described as “wholesale trade-in and asset management”. The France-headquartered company specialises in the sale, refurbishment and buy-back of used smartphones, and sells refurbished smartphones in 20 countries in Europe.
Recommerce previously indicated it works with operators in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Vodafone plans to expand a programme of refurbishing and reusing fixed-line routers and TV set-top boxes to more markets in future. It currently offers this facility in Germany, Portugal and Spain.
Joakim Reiter, Vodafone Group’s chief external and corporate affairs officer, hailed the operator’s “significant progress in eliminating our carbon footprint” in recent years.
“The next frontier of our planet strategy is now focussed on building a more circular economy for consumers and industry, and through own actions and in collaboration with partners developing innovative programmes that can tackle the growing challenge around electronic waste”, Reiter said.
