Phone Recycling: Saving the World, Finding Stolen Phones
Mobile phones are a big target for thieves. After all, most of the newer smart phones are pretty expensive and even the cheapest devices can still be sold off for a price; that price does need to be high either, as the investment cost for stolen items is practically zero. Getting even a single pound for a stolen handheld is already an injustice.
While tracking down high end devices needs hardware and software, finding low-end stolen mobile phones can be a lot harder –especially when thieves have found the perfect place to convert the stolen phone for money; at recycling centers. The devices can be brought in at various commercial establishments or in specific locations where the phone will be replaced by a cash incentive.
Now, mobile recyclers have a brand new protocol: checking for stolen devices. Carphone Warehouse, Mazuma, Virgin Media, 20:20 are all making a pledge to examine each handset sent in for recycling. This will prevent people from using recycling services to obtain money for stolen goods.
It is pretty harsh how the recycling industry is being used by malicious individuals in order to profit from illegal activities. While it is a bit too much to hope that something would be sacred from such persons, it is also important to remember that companies that invest heavily in recycling do so in order to entice people to give up their old handsets for recycling purposes.
Several tons of mobile phone wastes are created on a daily basis and the phone industry accounts for a large percent of the total carbon footprint that our civilization leaves.