The mobile phone is fast becoming the world's (favour) gadget, with nearly a billion (hand) sold annually around the globe. But what happens when the screen stops flashing, the battery dies, or people simply start laughing when you fish it out of your pocket?
In Britain, people (typical) replace their mobiles every two years, with 25% of people (grade) their equipment each year. So where do all the old phones go? According to Nokia, most get stuffed in a drawer and forgotten. Although about 30% are traded in or inherited by a family member, only 2% end up back at Nokia for recycling.
Markus Terho, director of environmental affairs at Nokia says: 'We've been doing a lot of (consume) research into what would convince people to recycle their phones. The biggest obstacle seems to be that people have very strong (emotion) bonds to their mobiles, and so are (willing) to part with them.'
One answer is turning your old mobile into a charitable (donate). About 70% of mobiles sent for recycling still work, and these can be (condition) and sold in developing countries, where they provide an (afford) alternative to new equipment. In many places in Africa, for example, where there are few landlines, having a (rely) mobile phone can make a real difference to people's lives.