RE:MOBILE, a mobile phone recycling scheme run by the New Zealand Telecommunications Forum (TCF), has donated over $50k to award winning charity Sustainable Coastlines in 2017, helping to fund their Flagship Education Centre; a unique ‘Living Building’ in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter. Set to become New Zealand’s most sustainable building, the education centre has been named a finalist in the Energy Globe Awards; one of the most prestigious environmental awards on the planet.
The RE:MOBILE scheme receives donations of unwanted mobile phones, chargers and accessories, which are refurbished or recycled by recycling partner Swapkit. Proceeds from the sale of phones are donated to Sustainable Coastlines to help fund the Flagship, run coastal clean-up events, educational programs and planting projects.
In 2017, the TCF donated $50,407.30 to Sustainable Coastlines, presented to Camden Howitt, Co-founder of Sustainable Coastlines, by Geoff Thorn, CEO of the TCF, at a recent event. Since Sustainable Coastlines became the charity partner of RE:MOBILE in April 2016, a total of $83,049.57 has been donated to the charity through the recycling scheme.
This year alone, Sustainable Coastlines has completed 112 beach clean-ups with 6,419 participants, collecting 109,130 litres of litter. “Looking after New Zealand coastlines and waterways is critical to our health, our economy and our culture, which is why we founded Sustainable Coastlines” said Mr Howitt. “We’re very grateful to be partnered with RE:MOBILE as it actively reduces waste while funding our clean-up and restoration activities – a win/win for the environment.”
TCF CEO Geoff Thorn says “our members actively promote the RE:MOBILE scheme in their stores, and send out a recycling envelope with every new device purchased. The recycling programme removes unused phones from landfills, and we are able to support an organisation which shares our goal of helping the environment.”
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact: Geoff Thorn, TCF, CEO
Ph: +64 21 937 920 | Email: Geoff.thorn@tcf.org.nz
www.tcf.org.nz | Twitter: @TCFNZ
