The seasonal competition announced as part of the Sustainability Week met great interest also in previous years. In 2020, participating students collected more than 12,000 used mobile phones and e-gadgets and provided more than 33 tons of used batteries for recycling – corresponding to the weight of 11 adult female elephants – under the competition. Organisers want to exceed the quantity of waste collected in the previous year and involve more and more young people to improve their environmental awareness and encourage them to act for the environment every year. Mobile handsets include valuable metals and other materials essential for the manufacturing of new mobile phones that can be otherwise obtained only in a costly manner and with a negative impact on the environment. The used handsets collected can either be re-used to increase their lifetime or their components can be recycled to avoid environmental damage.
This year’s competition had a strong start. Currently, the competition of schools is headed by a primary school in Békéscsaba where students have collected 700 used handsets to date. The first place of the individual top list is also held by a student from Békéscsaba who alone collected more than 680 mobile phones. New competitors can enter and start collecting electric waste for valuable prizes until 31 May.
The ten primary school students collecting the highest number of mobile phones and e-gadgets, and the ten students collecting the most batteries will win valuable mobile phones, tablets, portable speakers and headphones. The schools collecting the highest number of mobile phones and gadgets in each county and the schools collecting the most batteries in each county will be awarded a foundation cash prize of HUF 35,000.
As a special award offered by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, the most active school (that is, the one collecting the most used batteries, mobile phones and e-gadgets) will win a site visit to a recycling facility for the autumn of 2021.
Respect for the environment is an important core value for Telenor, main sponsor of the competition. Being a responsible business entity, it makes special effort to eliminate or minimise its environmental impact using innovative environmental solutions.
For the details and terms of the competition please visit: https://www.pontvelem.hu/szelektiv-hulladekgyujtes/gyujtoverseny