By: Masayu Yulien Vinanda

Jakarta (19/08)- NOKIA Indonesia, supported by TES-AMM and WWF-Indonesia launched Nokia Give & Grow programme, “Give Cellphone, Plant a Tree,” in Dharmawangsa Hotel, South Jakarta, Wednesday (19/08). Through this program, Indonesian people are encouraged to donate their no-longer-used mobile phones and accessories to be recycled afterward.
On top of educating public to be wiser in managing their electronic waste, NOKIA Indonesia and its partner TES AMM Indonesia will give donation to WWF-Indonesia reforestation initiative called NEWtrees in Ciliwung Watershed.

The ceremony was attended by Nokia Indonesia Country Manager Bob McDougall, NOKIA South East Asia Pacific (SEAP) Regional Manager-Environmental Affairs, Francis Cheong, NOKIA Indonesia Head of Marketing Riadi Sugihtani, TES AMM Indonesia’s Environment Specialist Chandra Mahjoedin, Chairman of WWF-Indonesia Executive Board Kemal Stamboel, and WWF-Indonesia Director of Governance, Community Empowerment and Corporate Engagement (GCCE) Nazir Foead.

 “Only three percent of mobile phone users in the world recycle their mobile phones. This reality motivated us to initiate NOKIA Give & Grow programme. This environmentally-friendly movement aims to create public awareness that no-longer-used mobile phones and accessories can be recycled into useful things,” said Bob McDougall in his speech.
The programme was actually initiated in 1997 by distributing more than 5,000 drop boxes in 85 countries in the world including Indonesia. In Indonesia alone, NOKIA has provided recycling boxes in 91 Nokia Care Center to make customers easy to drop off their old phones battery or charger to be recycled. Then, TES-AMM will send them to their recycling center in Singapore.

“All components will be separated and classified. There are plastics, metal, aluminum, and gold. Then we group them based on their material types. After that, we recycle them into new products,” said TES-AMM Indonesia Environmental Specialist Chandra Mahjoedin.

Director of GCCE Nazir Foead hailed Nokia initiative in conducting e-waste recycling programme. “Action for saving the environment will never be enough if it is only done by NGO and the government. Active participation from business actors are also urgently needed. WWF partnership with NOKIA which has been worked out since 2007, including our partnership in NEWtrees Ciliwung, are expected to motivate other corporations to give some of their energy in supporting WWF conservation practice.” ***