MOBILE PHONES / INK + TONER CARTRIDGES / SPECTACLES
Mobile Phones
Mr. & Mrs. Average replace their mobile phone every 18 months. Usually keeping the old handset as an unnecessary spare or throwing it away. According to David Adam in the Guardian (8 Jan 2005), 15 million are discarded in the UK each year but only 4% are recycled.
You can help give your old phone a new life or at the very least recycle its parts. Check out the following websites for links to many other sites providing information on where to take or send your old mobile phone.
www.envocare.co.uk
www.reuze.co.uk
Did you know? Most printer / toner cartridges can be easily recycled, refilled or remanufactured and by doing so not only reduces waste, but also reduces the need for raw materials - each laser cartridge that is recycled conserves the equivalent of approximately one litre of oil.
Before you throw away your printer / toner cartridges - stop!
Toner cartridges for laser printers, photocopiers and plain paper fax machines can't be refilled, however, most types of toner cartridges can be remanufactured. The cartridges are sent to a factory where they are completely dismantled and cleaned, any worn parts are replaced and then they are refilled with fresh toner. The United Kingdom Cartridge Remanufacturing Association (UKCRA) estimates that the number of remanufactured cartridges sold now exceeds 15,000,000 each year!
Ink jet cartridges are much simpler items and refilling is more straightforward and can even be done on a DIY basis. A number of companies supply the ink and refilling equipment. Inkjet cartridges are the smaller cartridges that fit into the palm of your hand.
Some companies also take back their own cartridges for recycling. Check the packaging for details of where to send them.
Always ensure when buying a new printer that its cartridges can be remanufactured.
There are a number of local organisations including charities who collect printer / toner cartridges. Many charities collect toner cartridges and receive in the order of £1 - £3 for each cartridge donated. This is an important source of income for them. See the list of charities below for your closest collection point.
When sending your cartridges for recycling, protect each cartridge as best you can - pack it away in its original casing or pack away in the covering or box that is removed from the new cartridge.
Links:
www.cartridges4charity.co.uk
www.cartridgeworld.co.uk
www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/recycle/toner.htm
www.recyclingappeal.com/uk/index.htm
www.actionaidrecycling.org.uk
SPECTACLES
Next time you buy a new pair of glasses, remember to ask your optician if they'll take back your old pair for reuse.
It is estimated that there are 200 million people in the developing world whose quality of life would be drastically improved if they owned a pair of glasses.
By donating your old glasses, you can help give the gift of sight to people in Africa, India and Brazil, enabling them to take an active part in work and community life.
Spectacle reuse focuses on:
- collecting glasses via opticians and charities
- sorting them in the UK - any that are broken or in bad condition are removed
- cleaning and grading reusable pairs of glasses
- sending them to ophthalmic projects in the developing world
- dispensing the correct grade of spectacles to patients following a professional eye test
Reusing old glasses in this way results in big, visible benefits to individuals and communities in need overseas.
Back in the UK, the reuse of old spectacles has different benefits:
- it helps to reduce waste sent to landfill.
- Vision Aid Overseas provides training and employment opportunities for prisoners to clean, grade and pack its spectacles.
- Help the Aged's 'World in Sight' appeal can send broken and irreparable metal frames to be smelted. The money raised is used to cover packaging and freight costs for sending the reusable glasses abroad.
Whether you wear glasses or not, you can follow these three simple steps to help bring a better quality of life to people in developing countries and improve our environment:
- Check out the web links below and decide who you would like to support and what spectacles they are looking for.
- Set up a collection box at work or at school and ask friends and colleagues to donate their old glasses.
- Get in touch with the charity, or a local optician who collects for them, and give them your recycled spectacles.
LINKS:
Deliver spectacles or send them direct to:
Vision Aid Overseas
12 The Bell Centre
Newton Road
Manor Royal
Crawley
RH10 9FZ
Tel: 01293 535 016
World in Sight Appeal - Help the Aged
Take your old glasses to your local Dollond & Aitchison branch located at:
11 The Martlets
Crawley
Sussex
RH10 1ER
Tel: 01293 525 635
If you would like to promote the Appeal by giving out leaflets or posters - please visit the web link above and complete the on-line form.
