Phone recycling scheme hits huge milestone

A Coastal Office scheme which supports the marine environment through recycling old mobile phones has hit a huge milestone this week!

Since joining forces with Whale and Dolphin Conservation towards the end of 2020, our team on Worthing seafront has received an amazing 500 phones from locals - all of which are avoiding landfill and being used to benefit marine life.

So, how does it work? The phones are taken by a partnered recycling company where they are then broken down and recycled for their precious materials. Any funds raised from these parts are then sent to our chosen charity, which aids their campaigns, research and protection of marine mammals.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation is a leading marine charity. They work globally through campaigns, lobbying, advising governments, field research, rescue and education. Ultimately working towards a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

Rebecca Belleni, the Coastal Office member who initiated the scheme, said: “Whales and Dolphins play an important role in keeping our marine environment balanced. Without these larger mammals feeding on smaller inhabitants, such as fish and squid, things start to shift and unbalance.

“The Coastal Office is delighted to be supporting the important work of Whale and Dolphin Conservation and we’re super grateful to the locals who have supported the phone recycling scheme.”

The scheme came about as phones are often discovered on the seafront, collected by our Coastal Wardens and taken into lost property, where they are normally forgotten and left unclaimed by their owners.

Emily Stewart, Fundraising Officer at Whale and Dolphin Conservation, said: “The phone recycling scheme at Worthing Coastal Office has been a great success. Money raised has helped us to protect whales and dolphins all around the world, from the threats that they face every day, including entanglement in nets, whaling, plastic pollution and captivity.

“We hope to see this scheme continue to succeed and grow, not only helping us to provide a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free, but also to recycle phones that would otherwise end up on our beaches and in our oceans.

“Everyone at WDC is incredibly grateful to Rebecca and the team at Worthing Coastal Office for their continued support, and to those that have donated through the scheme.”

Keen to get involved? The recycling project is as simple as dropping in any old phones to the team at the Coastal Office. These can be working or not and old or new. 

If you have any questions or want to know more on the scheme, call into the Coastal Office located between Worthing’s Pier and Lido or call the team on 01903 238977.

Photo credit Whale and Dolphin Conservation and Charlie Phillips