Co-op has expanded its roll out of in-store kiosks where customers can “turn their unwanted devices into cash”.
Customers enter details of the electronic device on a touchscreen, drop it through a letterbox in the kiosk and are sent a quote within one to three days and, if accepted, payment for the item.
The kiosks are operated by Spring, which collects the devices, which “get repaired and put back into circulation”. Where devices cannot be reused they are stripped of their precious metals – including gold, copper, aluminium, and steel – and recycled.
The retailer first partnered with Spring last October, initially launching the kiosks in 20 Co-op stores in London
They are now available in Co-op stores in Birmingham, Brighton, Leeds and Manchester.
“Co-op’s partnership with Spring will enable more communities to recycle or reuse their electronic devices locally, unlocking the value in forgotten phones and other unwanted tech and, importantly, preventing unnecessary and avoidable e-waste,” said Mark Matthews, Co-op’s director of innovation and format.
“If we are going to have a natural environment, which we are proud to pass on to future generations, we need action to be taken now. By making it easier for consumers to make small changes to their everyday lives, it can add up to a big difference for our environment,” Matthews added.
Research by Materials Focus found UK households and businesses produce 1.45 million tonnes of electrical waste each year, and almost half of UK households have between two and five unused electronic devices sitting at home.
“Leaving an unused device in a drawer means that rather than it being reused by someone else, it’s taken out of circulation and needs to be replaced with something new,” said Spring co-founder, Tom Williams.
“We’ve already made a huge impact with our first pods in London and we’re excited to bring this to more local communities,” he added.
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