Argos corporate news
Mobile phone trade-in and recycling success to be extended to Ireland
03 August 2006
Argos has extended the envirofone.com online mobile phone trade-in scheme to its stores in the Republic of Ireland from July 30th for the very first time. The scheme, which encourages customers to trade-in unwanted mobiles, could benefit individual consumers by up to €100.
The scheme not only benefits individuals, as envirofone also makes a donation to charity for each phone recycled. Argos’ charity partner in Ireland, The Irish Hospice Foundation, is set to benefit from the initiative.
In the UK, where the retailer began promoting the cash-for-old mobiles scheme in its stores in February, the number of mobile phones reclaimed for re-use and recycling has risen by 82 per cent over the same period in 2005.
So far some £85,000 has been paid out to Argos customers trading in their mobiles in cash and Argos credits held in envirocards, an electronic preloaded payment card, that can be used for full or part purchase at Argos stores. In addition the Argos charity partner for the UK, Help the Hospices, has also gained £18,000.
Pete Petrondas, founder of Eazyfone Group, which runs the envirofone scheme, said: “The success of our mobile trade-in scheme demonstrates how recycling electrical and electronic equipment can be integrated seamlessly into normal consumer behaviour. Ireland is known to be one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the EU. If we can increase levels of mobile re-use as we have in the UK with Argos, we would expect to do even better in a country which has such strong green principles.
“In a technology-driven global economy it is normal for consumers in developed countries to want the latest equipment. But recently displaced equipment still has a useful life and market value in less developed parts of the world. Diverting such equipment from the scrap heap of a landfill site is not only environmentally responsible, it also serves a social purpose in emerging markets,” he explained.
Argos community affairs manager, Lorna Liggett, said: “We’re really excited to bring this scheme to Ireland. This scheme has been a success because everyone benefits; it promotes re-use and recycling and benefits individuals and charitable groups. It also demonstrates how a retailing business infrastructure can be put to wider good use.”
The administration of the Argos Credits is handled through Argos Business Solutions (ABS). ABS receives information from envirofone about the amount of credit to be loaded onto the cards. This secure transaction is carried out remotely and then envirofone sends the cards directly to the customers. At their own convenience, customers can take their cards into any Argos store and use them as full or part payment for goods that the customer is purchasing.
