Vodafone Ireland tackle e-waste with campaign highlighting Ireland’s unused smartphone mountain

As part of Vodafone's ongoing 'Home of Trade-In' initiative, this campaign seeks to bring the issue to the forefront of public consciousness. The striking visual of a literal mountain of unused smartphones in Glendalough serves as a dramatic metaphor for the scale of the problem, effectively illustrating the need for action.

Vodafone Ireland is taking a proactive approach to combat this issue by offering a variety of solutions. These include refurbished smartphones, Trade-In programs, device repair, and recycling services. These initiatives aim to extend the lifecycle of these unused phones, ensuring they are repaired, recycled, or repurposed, thereby reducing their environmental impact.

Amanda Nelson, CEO of Vodafone Ireland, emphasized the importance of the campaign: “This campaign was designed to grab attention and spark conversations around e-waste and the role we can all play in tackling this problem. Through initiatives like Trade-in, fix and go, recycling and our refurbished phones, we are committed to addressing this problem by extending the lifecycle of our customers' devices, offering them better, more sustainable value that’s kinder to the planet.”

A smart move from Vodafone Ireland. Generally, European operators lack successful trade-in schemes, with the notable exception of Orange France, which boasts an unparalleled trade-in attach rate of over 20%—a percentage typically seen only in the US. In contrast, Deutsche Telekom’s rate is around 5%. This campaign could significantly boost Vodafone's trade-in numbers. Irish distributor Fonua, with their Mint proposition, is performing well, while fellow Irish company Alchemy is gaining traction by running Apple’s trade-in scheme across Europe.