Wireless operator O2 UK announced recently that its mobile phone recycling service, O2 Recycle, has generated £1 million in cash pay outs for customers. Moreover, the mobile phone carrier also revealed that the achievement was made in only 5 months after the program kicked off in October 2009.

The O2 Recycle service is operated by phone recycling specialist Redeem Plc, and is meant to re-use a wide range of unwanted devices, the wireless carrier states. At the same time, it also notes that, in case there are unwanted devices that are not suitable for re-use, they will be recycled. Jamie Rae, chief executive of Redeem said that the breaking of the million pound barrier in only five months since the launch of the services came as a great achievement for all parties involved in the action. Moreover, it also shows that the environmental awareness of consumers in the UK is increasing.

“By recycling electronic devices we avoid potentially toxic waste being released into our environment and create communication solutions for people in the developing world where infrastructure can be poor. Our partnership with O2 demonstrates the growth of Redeem’s business and recognises that what we can offer to operators and consumers is unmatched in the UK,” Jamie Rae stated.

The eco-friendly program was launched last year to offer an easy way for O2 customers and mobile users to recycle a part of the 90 million handsets, currently unused in homes across the UK. O2 offers a cash value for those old devices, and is also donating £1 to its Think Big social change programme for each of the handsets that has been recycled.

O2’s UK marketing director Sally Cowdry commented, “We are committed to embedding sustainability at the core of our business, bringing environmentally friendly products and services to our customers, and making it easier for them to do their bit for the environment. The fact that we have reached the 1 million mark so quickly is testament to the popularity of O2 Recycle.”