According to the latest census, Croatia has 3.8 million inhabitants, and according to the latest research results conducted by Hrvatski Telekom, there are as many as five million mobile devices in the drawers of Croatian citizens that are not in use. Most keep them ‘in reserve’ or plan to give them to other family members, but as many as a quarter of respondents do not dispose of them properly due to fears of data theft.
As many as 13 percent of respondents do not know where or how to dispose of old mobile phones, and six percent believe it is not practical to dispose of them. However, the most concerning fact is that one in ten users throws their mobile phone in regular trash.
Due to the aforementioned research results, Hrvatski Telekom has decided to invite all its users, as well as others, to bring their mobile phones and other small devices to HT offices where they will be disposed of properly. This is part of a new campaign ‘A Call You Can’t Miss’ through which HT aims to help everyone take the first step towards a more sustainable and greener life and business.
– There is a big difference between words and actions. The data tells us that of the 77 percent of respondents who say they dispose of waste every day, that is, the most aware ones, 40 percent do not dispose of electronic waste. Up to 80 percent of mobile phones can be recycled and the raw material reused, which is a huge loss that we cause by our inaction – said Igor Vukasović, director of corporate communications at HT, presenting a new platform aimed at encouraging citizens to properly dispose of electronic waste, the fastest-growing category of waste in the European Union.
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Electronic waste contains as many as 49 chemical elements, many of which can be recycled and thus become valuable raw materials instead of waste. Therefore, in all HT offices, mobile phones, cables, tablets, routers, chargers, laptops, wearable devices (wearables), and other small gadgets will soon be able to be disposed of in special boxes.
– This is a call for all our users to come to the stores and bring all old mobile phones and cables to our centers, and we will ensure that they are disposed of properly. This is just a small part of the platform we are launching, with the aim of making sustainability not only our business focus but also the focus of the business and life of every citizen of this country – stated Nataša Rapaić, a member of the HT Management Board.
Rapaić added that HT disposes of three percent of the total number of sold mobile phones annually, and their plan is to increase this percentage to seven percent this year.
– Last year we doubled the number of disposed mobile phones, but we always want to do more. On this occasion, we launched the platform ‘A Call You Can’t Miss’ under which we will carry out year-round activities and contribute to environmental protection, conservation, and more efficient use of natural resources, as well as the design and implementation of innovative smart solutions and the construction of ICT infrastructure that enables everyone to live and do business more sustainably.
Given that we live in a time when we have more electrical and electronic devices in our drawers than there are citizens, appropriately, the first in a series of activities we are starting today is raising awareness and collecting electronic devices that we do not use. All of us as individuals or companies can make a tangible contribution here, because this is a ‘call’ for all of us, and we do not want and must not miss it – concluded Rapaić.
