Friday, July 11, 2008

[Ictmedia] Only 3% of People Recycle Their Old Mobile Phones

A survey carried out by Nokia has reported that only 3% of people recycle their mobile phones despite the fact that most have old devices lying around at home that they no longer want. Three out of every four people added that they don't even think about recycling their devices and nearly half were unaware that it is even possible to do so.

The survey is based on interviews with 6,500 people in 13 countries including Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA, Nigeria, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil. Nokia says they carried out the survey to find out more about consumers' attitudes
and behaviors towards recycling, and inform the company's take-back programs and efforts to increase recycling rates of unused mobile devices.

Markus Terho, Director of Environmental Affairs, Markets, at Nokia said, "It is clear from this survey that when mobile devices finally reach the end of their lives that very few of them are recycled. Many people are simply unaware that these old and unused mobiles lying around in drawers can be recycled or how to do this. Nokia is working hard to make it easier, providing more information and expanding our global take-back programs." He added, "If each of the three billion people globally owning mobiles brought back just one unused device we could save 240,000 tonnes of raw materials and reduce greenhouse gases to the same effect as taking 4 million cars off the road. By working together, small individual actions could add up to make a big difference."

The findings highlight that despite the fact that people on average have each owned around five phones, very few of these are being recycled once they are no longer used. Only 3% said they had recycled their old phone. Yet very few old devices, 4%, are being thrown into landfill. Instead
the majority, 44%, are simply being kept at homes never used. Others are giving their mobiles another life in different ways, one quarter are passing on their old phones to friends or family, and 16% of people are selling their used devices particularly in emerging markets.

Globally, 74% of consumers said they don't think about recycling their phones, despite the fact that around the same number, 72%, think recycling makes a difference to the environment. This was consistent across many different countries with 88% of people in Indonesia not considering recycling unwanted devices, 84% in India, and 78% of people in Brazil, Sweden, Germany and Finland.

The survey revealed that one of the main reasons why so few people recycle their mobile phones is because they simply don't know that it is possible to do so. In fact, up to 80% of any Nokia device is recyclable and precious materials within it can be reused. Globally, half of those
surveyed didn't know phones could be recycled like this, with awareness lowest in India at 17% and Indonesia at 29%, and highest in the UK at 80% and 66% in Finland and Sweden.

Mr Terho said, "Using the best recycling technology nothing is wasted. Between 65 - 80 per cent of a Nokia device can be recycled. Plastics that can't be recycled are burnt to provide energy for the recycling process, and other materials are ground up into chips and used as construction materials or for building roads. In this way nothing has to go to landfill."

Many people interviewed for the survey, even if they were aware that a device could be recycled, did not know how to go about doing this. Two thirds said they did not know how to recycle an unwanted device and 71% were unaware of where to do this.

Responding to the survey findings Nokia is developing a series of campaigns and activities to give people more information on why, how and where to recycle their old and unwanted devices, chargers and mobile accessories. The company is also expanding its global take-back program
by adding many more collection bins and promoting these in store to raise greater awareness.

Posted on Cellular News website on 8th July 2008

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Court Clears Journalist Bill Jarkloh of Rape Charges

...Journalist Says: "Charges Were Masterminded Against Me"

The Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice has formally cleared Journalist Bill K. Jarkloh of Rape/Sodomy Charges. The City Court “Clerk’s Certificate” clearing Mr. Jarkloh of the charges forbidden the journalist from further answering to the rape./sodomy charges.

The Court document certifies “that a careful perusal of this honorable court’s records reveals that the above case was nolle prosequoi and dismissed by the court in favor of the above defendant without prejudice.” The Court’s ‘Clerk Certificate’ signed by the Clerk of the Court, Mr. Francis Weah, further states that the court has therefore discharged the journalist “from further answering to the charge of Rape/Sodomy….”

Mr. Bill Jarkloh: He is now a free man from a crafted rape charge by detractors.


Mr. Jarkloh was on May 13, 2008 charged with Rape/Sodomy based on the complaint of one Ruth Samuels who alleged that Mr. Jarkloh has raped her eight-year-old daughter, little Love Samuels. But Mr. Jarkloh challenged his accusers to prove beyond all reasonable doubts the allegations of rape and sodomy brought against him.

The journalist who was detained at the Monrovia Central Prison for three weeks, three days by the court said the charges against him were masterminded by people who plotted against him to ruin his hard-earned reputation he has built over the years.

Jarkloh noted that the Chief Justice of Liberia, Cllr. Johnny Lewis, perfected the plot when he personally ordered the Monrovia City court to disregard police investigation into the Love Samuels situation and go ahead to prosecute Mr. Jarkloh in the absence of police investigative report and charge sheet as required by the New Penal Law of Liberia.

The journalist said the Women and Children Unit of the Liberia National Police was investigating the Love Samuels situation based on the intervention of a local NGO, ZODWOCA, Inc. through its Women and Children Coordinator Korpo Kortimai who happens to be Mr. Jarkloh’s spouse when the court arrested Mr. Jarkloh on the Chief Justice’s order thereby circumventing transparent justice.

The journalist further explained that little Love Samuels was found in the streets abandoned (in the Sonniewin area), at which time Love told ZODWOCA and the Police that she was raped by one Lincolon. “It was this lady that handed little Love to Ms. Kortimai in behalf of ZODWOCA Inc. to help restore the minor,” Mr. Jarkloh indicated.

The journalists also said police attested that Love was several times abandoned by her parents and found in the streets. The kid told police investigators at the WAC Unit that she was raped by one Lincoln in a video club during a deep night when people were asleep in the Sonniewin vicinity. “She earlier related the same information to ZODWOCA, and thereafter told the Safe Home to which police sent her for rehabilitation, confirmed it to the Court and even the Chief Justice in the presence of a mammoth crowd including relief workers and journalists,” Mr. Jarkloh said.

Mr. Jarkloh then concluded the conspiracy against has done to his character and reputation a very serious damage, and added that he will take the appropriate course of action against the conspirators to redeem his reputation. He then expressed gratitude first to God, and then to Cllr. T. Dempster Brown who represented his legal interest. He also thanks all those who stood by him in prayers during his time of distress.