Cash to encourage mobile recycling

Ecology secretary says 100 million mobiles are not being used and 'a few euros' should be paid to anyone handing one in

Published Modified

THE GOVERNMENT is looking to launch an eco-bonus scheme for anyone who takes their old mobile phone back to the shop to be recycled.

Junior Ecology Minister Chantal Jouanno said the bonus-malus would pay "a few euros" to encourage people to hand in their phones.

She told France 2 that there were "about 100 million mobiles sleeping in a drawer somewhere" and the recycling rate was currently less than 3%.

Some mobile operators already run their own schemes, and an independent site called Fonebank.fr launched this summer, which pays a small amount and donates the old phone to a developing country.

According to tech website Silicon.fr, the average person changes their mobile phone every two years.

french news

french news