Three Ireland has launched two new initiatives as part of its wider sustainability strategy. The ThreeRecycle trade-in scheme allows both customers and non-customers to get cash back for their old devices, including phones, tablets and electronic wearables. The company is also introducing eco-friendly SIMs made from recycled polystyrene waste from old refrigerators.
“We launched our sustainability strategy just a few weeks ago,” says Three sustainability manager for Ireland and the UK, Derval O’Brien. “The strategy encompasses five goals – supporting the move to a circular economy, acting on climate change, creating a thriving digital economy, operating responsibly and with integrity, and creating a great place to work. These two initiatives fall within the circularity goal.”
O’Brien believes the device trade-in initiative will have a real and tangible impact on reducing handset and technology waste. “This scheme will see devices and materials reused for future products, which will in turn support the delivery of Three’s circular targets,” she explains. “Device-owners will have the opportunity to receive money back for any unused phones, tablets or electric wearables, and we hope people will find this to be a useful tool to support them to carry out strong sustainability practices.”
There is a big problem with the incorrect disposal of e-waste. Putting it into landfill is creating health and environmental problems globally
Very importantly, the cash offer comes with no strings attached. “People can go to the Three website where they will be asked questions to help get a valuation for their phone or other device,” O’Brien explains. “If they decide to trade it in, they will get cash deposited directly into their bank account. There are no credit notes or requirements to spend the money on Three products. We are not trying to force people to buy Three products. If the device has no monetary value, people can still have it recycled through our partner Fonua. They can get a freepost envelope sent out to them and they can send it to Fonua for responsible recycling.”
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The value is dependent on the age and functionality of the device, she adds. “Obviously, the most recent iPhone or Samsung Galaxy will be worth a lot more than older versions.”
The initiative is tackling two issues – the incorrect disposal of electronic devices and the need to recycle and reuse scarce resources. “There is a big problem with the incorrect disposal of e-waste. Putting it into landfill is creating health and environmental problems globally. People who trade in their phones with Three or send them to Fonua can be rest assured they will be disposed of responsibly. Ninety per cent of the environmental impact of a phone comes from its production; only 10 per cent from its use. So, anything that puts the phone or its components back in use will reduce future environmental impacts. Six of the minerals and materials used in the manufacture of mobile phones are predicted to run out in the next 100 years. It’s labelled e-waste but it’s actually a resource. We need to use it.”
The potential scale of the resource is very significant. “When people change their phone, they tend to hang on to the old one for use as a backup device, or thinking that they might give it to a relative – but that tends not to happen. They put them in a drawer and forget about them. These are known as hibernating devices, and it’s estimated that there are 700 hundred million of them in Europe alone.”
Three’s eco-SIMs will be available from June. Through the recycling of refrigerator polystyrene, the initiative will support a 40 per cent reduction in carbon production. “This is giving new life to old fridges and supports the circular economy,” says O’Brien.
We would like people to look in their drawers for hibernating devices. The new scheme enables people to play a part in climate action
Further sustainability initiatives are already at the planning stage. “We have been on our sustainability journey for some time,” she notes. “Our strategy goes out to 2030, and these two initiatives are further steps on the journey. The strategy ties together a number of disparate things that we have been doing across the business over the past number of years. We piloted solar panels across our network last year, for example. We trialled them on nine sites and will be rolling them out to another 100 sites this year. We also moved to LED lighting in our Limerick contact centre. That resulted in a 16 per cent reduction in overall energy usage at the centre.”
She urges people to take up the trade-in offer. “We would like people to look in their drawers for hibernating devices. The new scheme enables people to play a part in climate action. This is us supporting them by making it easy for them to do it.”
To learn more about ThreeRecycle, visit 3.ie/Recycle