O2 Claims Guinness World Record Title for Recycling Strategy

O2, one of the leading mobile companies in the UK, wants to announce its supremacy in the field of recycling operations. The company now boasts a Guinness World title for its eco-friendly campaign which relies on the support of thousands of buyers, eager to recycle the phones they no longer need.

The main goal was to exceed every other strategy of this kind, after gathering a record number of cell phones in just one week. The money resulted after putting this idea into practice is destined to boost the O2 Recycle’s charity program.

O2 planned to involve as many people as possible, in order to collect 10,310 phones and make the public and the Guinness representatives forget about the already existing record of 6,130. Besides being able to brag about redefining itself as a top eco-conscious company, O2 succeeded in raising £28,176 ($44,388 / €32,858) that will support a noble cause.

The enterprise strove to attain this goal by consulting with Redeem, a recycling specialist who helped the company gather and count all the discarded items. Redeem was also the person who made sure that all the collected phones were recycled or refurbished in an appropriate manner.

The recycling strategy provides a win-win situation for the environment and also for the people between 13 and 25 who will receive financial support for developing innovative ideas that might improve their own lives and the community's future.

Officials say that £28,176 is a significant amount that will help 9,000 young people follow their dreams. The financial support is guaranteed for all kinds of initiatives, as long as they are viable.

O2’s Think Big program offers the perfect framework for disadvantaged people, in order to exploit creative ideas that can trigger a considerable profit within a few years.

Also, while talking about the impact electronics have upon the environment, the company stated that it is keen on minimizing its harmful impact. It started by diverting all the handsets from landfills and recycling them, making sure that its name will never be associated with global warming and pollution.

“This challenge has helped to liberate thousands of mobile phones which have been sitting in people’s drawers across the UK. We hope through initiatives like this that we can encourage people to see the benefits of mobile phone recycling in terms of both doing good for the environment and helping raise money for good causes,” says Eyres, Head of Sustainability at O2.