Join our mobile phone recycling campaign!

Lister Unified Communications has teamed up with Punchline-Gloucester.com – the county's biggest dedicated business news channel, to encourage Gloucestershire businesses to recycle their old phones, with proceeds going to The Nelson Trust.

The Stroud-based charity brings hope and long-term recovery to lives affected by addiction and multiple disadvantages.

The old phones either get refurbished and upcycled or broken down as their parts contain tiny parts of precious metals.

Mobile phone recycling bins have been placed in the county's six Growth Hubs - in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, Tewkesbury and Mitcheldean.

A growing number of businesses have also come onboard to support the campaign, including Azets, Cass Stephens, Corinthian Wealth Management, C2S, Flex-e-Rent, Cullimore, Hooray Recruitment, Logical Utilities, Nimble, Ontic, Randall & Payne, SLG, Spirax Group, and Sterling Networks.

The campaign got off to a flying start when the team at Cotswold Archaeology found they had almost 300 redundant phones in their Cirencester office. Around 2,000 phones in total have already been collected but we're hoping to add thousands more to the campaign. 
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Research by Giffgaff indicates that more than 100 million unused devices worth a collective £14.1 billion are gathering dust in houses. On average, each UK adult possesses at least two unused mobile devices at home, with another two devices having been discarded in the bin. Despite the potential value, many end up in landfill sites.

Rob Lister, managing director of Lister Unified Communications, said: "The whole idea is for businesses to find their old phones, drop them in a box at their workplace and The Nelson Trust will come and collect them. If we can all play a little part in recycling these phones, we could help some people in real need.

"We are really pleased with the first phase of the mobile recycling campaign with nearly 2,000 phones donated so far and some great companies and organisations supporting the campaign. But please keep pushing and donating as it is for such a great cause."

Punchline-Gloucester.com editor Mark Owen said: "Our mission is to get as many businesses as possible in the county to join this campaign. There's momentum building as more and more people come on board but we're looking for more people to get involved. We're appealing to business people to encourage their staff to recycle their phones.

"I'm embarrassed to say that I had a look around my own house and office and collected 15 old mobile phones that were just lying around in drawers which I hadn't recycled or thrown away. Now they can be put to good use.

"My wife's auntie went to her parish church and collected 20 phones. If everybody did that, we could collect thousands of phones, so if you have an old mobile phone just take it to the Growth Hub and help make a difference. Or even better, put a box in your workplace and put everyone's old phones in there and get in touch with The Nelson Trust to arrange collection."

Phone donors are advised to wipe all their private information off their devices before dropping them off, but Lister's experts can clear them, if necessary.

John Trolan, CEO of The Nelson Trust, said: “We are delighted that Lister Unified Communications and Punchline-Gloucester.com have already seen huge success with their campaign. The donation of 2,000 mobile phones to be recycled will help our clients immeasurably as each month, we provide around 100 disposable mobile phones to the women we serve that this scheme will help fund. 

"The old phones that are still in good working order are especially crucial in situations involving abusive relationships, where partners may use mobile phone restrictions or monitoring as a form of coercive control, placing many women at risk. 

"With many services and support systems now accessible online, the ability to make a private and secure phone call for help, advice, or during a crisis can be life-saving."

Andy Jarrett operations and compliance manager at The Nelson Trust added: “I can’t thank those companies that have stepped forward so far enough for their support. This campaign is unusual in a way, we’re not asking for money, just people to hand in their old phones that they don’t use anymore and together we can make a big difference.”

The initiative is being supported by Gloucester-based BiGDUG, which has supplied the recycling bins, and Blue Sky Signs which created all the signage for the bins.

To have your box of used mobile phones picked up,email andy.jarrett@nelsontrust.com