Are you a cell phone hoarder? You are not alone

Highlights from the 2016 Understanding Cell Phone Recycling Behaviours (CNW Group/Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association)

2016 Understanding Cell Phone Behaviours survey (CNW Group/Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association)

HIghlights from the 2016 Understanding Cell Phone Recycling Behaviours survey (CNW Group/Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association)

Support for cell phone recycling remains strong among consumers

OTTAWA, April 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Nearly two-thirds of Canadians are holding on to a cellphone they are no longer using. Recycle My Cell is inviting Canadians to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by recycling those unused cell phones and accessories.

Recycle My Cell, Canada's free cell phone recycling program, helps consumers clean out their junk drawers by pointing them to the nearest drop-off location.

Canadians can visit the bilingual website – www.RecycleMyCell.ca and www.Recyclemoncell.ca – and enter their postal code to locate the drop-off locations closest to them where their old wireless devices will be accepted, regardless of brand or condition.

If a consumer cannot get to one of the drop-off locations in their neighborhood, the website offers printable postage-paid labels that can be used to mail the device back to Recycle My Cell at absolutely no cost to the consumer.

"I am thrilled to see Canadians' support for cell phone recycling programs remains very strong," said Robert Ghiz, President & CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), commenting the results from the 2016 Understanding Cellphone Recycling Behaviours survey released today. "As more Canadians are using their mobile devices to do more, it's increasingly important that they give their old cell phones a proper send-off. I am proud of the work being done by Recycle My Cell to give Canadians the information they need to do just that."

Other findings from the 2016 Understanding Cell Phone Recycling Behaviours survey include:

• Nearly two-thirds of Canadians (62%) have a cell phone in their possession that they are not using. This represents an increase in respondents who store their used cell phones since 2015 (48% stored). Canadians report storing an average of 2.1 phones.
• Support for cell phone recycling remains extremely high, with 96% of Canadians either supporting or somewhat supporting the concept of recycling old, unused or unwanted phones.
• Quebeckers were the most likely to have cell phones in storage (65%), while Prince Edward Islanders were the least likely (47%). On average, Canadians have two cell phones in storage.
• Nearly half of Canadians (46%) have owned four cellphones or more prior to their current one. Two in five have respectively owned two (20%) or three (20%) phones prior to their current one, while 13% have owned one.
• More than nine in ten Canadians (92%) actively use one cell phone, while 6% of Canadians actively use two cell phones, and 1% use three cell phones or four cell phones or more respectively.

Canadian Cell Phone Recycling Facts

• 649,503 wireless devices were recovered in 2016.
• 7,068,494 wireless devices have been recovered since 2005.
• Recycle My Cell offers more than 2,500 drop-off locations across Canada.

Host a Recycle My Cell Drop-off Location Year-Round

Municipalities, recycling depots, businesses and community organizations across the country can support the Recycle My Cell program by hosting a drop-off location year-round. Registration is quick and easy, and pre-paid shipping and promotional materials are provided at no cost. For more information, please visit www.recyclemycell.ca/host-a-drop-off-location/ or contact [email protected].

The 2016 Understanding cell phone recycling behaviours survey, commissioned by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, was completed by Nanos Research from December 2 to 19, 2016.

About Recycle My Cell
Recycle My Cell is Canada's national recycling program for mobile phones and accessories. The bilingual Web site – www.RecycleMyCell.ca and www.Recyclemoncell.ca – allows consumers to simply enter their postal code to locate the drop-off locations closest to them where their devices will be accepted, regardless of brand or condition. The free program is run by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), in conjunction with cell phone carriers, handset manufacturers and approved processors, who have come together to raise awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling.

SOURCE Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association

Sophie Paluck, 613-233-4888 ext. 207, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.cwta.ca/