T-Mobile team up with recycle-more to encourage recycling on the move
October 2009
T-Mobile has launched the first mobile recycling application,
'Recycle Guide', which allows users
to find out what they can recycle as well as locating their nearest recycling points
through their mobile phone.
T-Mobile collaborated with Valpak Limited, a scheme which helps
over 3,000 large and small UK businesses to comply with recycling legislation, to
develop this innovative mobile application. Valpak Limited owns the largest recycling
information database in the UK, which is available to consumers via their consumer
facing website, recycle-more.co.uk. The database, more commonly known as the bank
locator, has been designed to help tackle the 31 million tonnes of waste (the same
weight as 3.5 million double decker buses) that goes to landfill each year.
In addition to letting users know where they can recycle standard
household items, T-Mobile's application offers advice on how to recycle more unusual
items such as mobile phones and Christmas trees. Users can also receive tips on
how to recycle, links to useful recycling websites such as recycle-more.co.uk, and
can keep track of what they have recycled.
Furthermore, the Android version of the
'Recycle Guide' allows users to demonstrate
how committed they are to green causes. Users can pledge to recycle certain amounts
of waste and can then share their promises with friends.
Fiona Cameron, Corporate Responsibility Manager at T-Mobile,
said:
"Although national recycling rates are on the rise, thousands of potentially
recyclable materials still get thrown away every day purely because people don't
know where the nearest recycling point is. We don't often hear about the link between
throwing waste in landfill and the contribution it makes to global warming, when
in fact methane gas produced from landfill sites is a powerful greenhouse gas. Methane
accounted for about eight percent of the UK's greenhouse has emissions in 2007.3
We've harnessed the latest mobile technology in partnership with Valpak to make
it easier for people to find out what they can recycle and where, saving them time
and money - on top of doing their bit for the environment."
Duncan Simpson, Valpak's Director of Sales & Marketing, said:
"It is the aim if Valpak and its membership to encourage more recycling of packaging,
waste electronics and batteries. We originally did this work through our successful
website recycle-more.co.uk. This website helps consumers and organisations to recycle
more items more frequently by offering advice on what can be recycled and where.
In addition, our unique bank locator allows consumers to access information about
where they can recycle specific materials."
Steve Gough, Valpak's CEO, continued:
"By teaming up with T-Mobile we are able to make recycling information, that
was previously only available online, accessible to more people via new technology.
This provides so much more for the householder."
Just text RECYCLE to 80988,
and you'll receive a text message link to download the application if your phone
is compatible. To find out more about the project log onto
www.thespark.t-mobile.co.uk and sign
up to the RSS feed for news.
Normal data browsing rates apply. If you do not have an internet
option included in your plan, you might be charged to go online to download it.
The application is also available via our web portals, T-Zones, web'n'walk, and
Android Market TM.