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Gearing for a greener planet

SEATTLE, United States – At Nokia, sustainability starts with product design and is woven into everything we do. We’re constantly working on new ways to design products that exceed global standards and raise awareness about phone recycling among consumers. Just last year, with your help, we collected approximately 415 tons of phones through our recycling programs and more than 6,000 collection points located in 100 countries spanning the globe. The products we recycle eventually become accessories, chargers and other cool electronic devices.

Think about it. When was the last time you cleaned out your kitchen drawer? You’d be surprised with what you might find in there. Jewelry, crumpled receipts, light bulbs, and in many cases, that cell phone you purchased five years ago. While you probably had good intentions of figuring out what to do with that phone, the excitement of getting a new gadget made it easy to just toss your old device aside without thinking about how or where to properly dispose of it. 

On November 15, the United States shines a national spotlight on recycling and sustainability with “America Recycles Day,” an event dedicated to motivating US citizens to recycle more.

As a recognized leader in sustainability, we’re proud to be hosting an educational recycling event in Seattle, Washington from November 11-15 encouraging consumers to bring their old mobile devices to be recycled and learn more about sustainable electronics design. Those people that bring in items for recycling can explore the science center for free and attend a screening for the film, Wild Ocean, sponsored by Nokia.

While having a day devoted to education and awareness around recycling is one thing we do each year, we still have a long way to go. A recent study by Nokia found that only about nine percent of consumers recycled their previous mobile device. So next time you’re rummaging through your drawers, keep an eye out for that old Nokia device you stashed away. Who knows, you might even take the next step to help make this world a better place.

If you’re in the Seattle area and are interested in participating, bring an old device and a friend to the Pacific Science Center from November 11-15 to celebrate “America Recycles Day” with Nokia, and to learn more about what you can do make your community more sustainable. 

image credit: Pink Sherbert Photography