Nokia launches recycling, care kiosk in Malaysia

For every phone recycled, not only of the Nokia brand, the company will donate a tree dedicated to the person who recycled the phone

NOKIA has launched an Integrated Nokia Kiosk (INK), its first automated recycling and care kiosk, in Malaysia in an effort to promote environmental initiatives in the mobile industry.

The kiosk will be rolled out in four locations across the Klang Valley under an initial six-month pilot phase, serving the dual purpose of collecting old phones to be recycled and providing an automated facility for customers to drop in phones for services.

It will be placed at the Nokia Concept Store at the Gardens in Mid Valley City, the Nokia Store at the Curve, the Nokia Store at Suria KLCC, and the Giant Hypermarket in Bandar Puchong Kinrara.

Nokia’s environmental affairs manager, Southeast Asia Pacific, Francis Cheong, said as the idea was first conceptualised by Nokia Malaysia, the country was chosen as the first location globally for the pilot project.

“I believe with today’s issue of climate change, there will be greater response towards the programme as people have become aware and responsible towards the environment,” he told reporters after the launch.

For every phone recycled, not only of the Nokia brand, the company will donate a tree dedicated to the person who recycled the phone, Cheong said.

The tree is planted under the existing NEWTrees Initiative, a collaboration between Nokia, WWF Indonesia and Equinox Publishing, whereby Nokia has committed to pledge the planting of 100,000 trees at the Sebangau National Park in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Nokia will then contact people concerned with exact coordinates of the tree planted so that they are able to view the tree as it grows over time via Google Earth.

“If all of the three billion people globally owning mobile phones brought back just one unused device, we can save 240,000 tonnes of raw materials and reduce greenhouse gases to the same effect as taking four million cars off the road,” Cheong said.

He also said that if the pilot project is successful, he planned to introduce the programme to other parts of the region. — Bernama