of the Virgin Mobile companies. Despite the different countries, and consequently cultures, in which the various companies work, the policy outlines a set of minimum standards including measures such as recycling handsets, to which all Virgin Mobile companies must adhere.

The Virgin Mobile companies are working hard to increase recycling and create formal initiatives within their markets:

• Virgin Mobile US enables customers to access a postage paid shipping label online so that customers can return their handsets easily. All profits from this recycling scheme go to RE*Generation US, a Virgin Mobile US and Virgin Unite initiative to help homeless youth

• Virgin Mobile Canada’s recycling scheme accepts handsets from any brand or company and in any condition

• Virgin Media allows its mobile customers to trade in old phones and get up to £150 back in free airtime depending on the make, model and condition of their handset. It also offers people the option to donate some, or all of its value, to charity which the company matches .

Reusing is always better than recycling where possible as it avoids having to break down and remanufacture products, which is extremely energy intensive:

• Virgin Mobile US has introduced a ‘Pass It On’ programme which encourages users to pass on old phones to friends in exchange for airtime. During the first half of 2009, it won 110,000 additional customers from the Pass It On programme.

Virgin Media provides other electronic equipment such as set top boxes to customers. These have relatively short life spans and need to be reused and recycled as they contain precious metals, toxic chemicals and plastics. Virgin Media is committed to taking back equipment that customers no longer wish to use. In 2008 it took back more than 1.6 million boxes and modems, all of which were either reused or recycled. Virgin Digital Help is also hoping to have an impact on waste by helping people repair or upgrade existing equipment thereby reducing the consumption of new hardware .

56% of Britons have unused digital stuff at home, even though it’s in perfect working order.

RE*Generation:

Virgin Mobile and Virgin Unite are working with

Foyer and Kids Company,

who help homeless or vulnerable young people turn around their lives and kickstart their future.

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