The possibilities of digital technology are practically endless. Under the 'Think Possible' promise we want to make as many people as possible aware of this. But to make full use of this technology you obviously need the right tools. And that's where mobile phones come into play.
As a telecom company we're all too aware that we contribute in a big way to the sale of mobile phones. And that's why we’re assuming our responsibility: with this project we want to commit to teaching Belgians to adopt a new, good habit: recycling your old phone.
We're not taking on this commitment on our own. In fact, we strongly believe that society makes the fastest progress when collaborating. Umicore, as the largest Belgian recycler of precious and other metals, shares this philosophy. That's why they will recycle the phones and we will jointly remind manufacturers of their responsibility to reuse scarce raw materials. For not only do we want people to recycle their phones, we also want to be sure that the recycled materials are reused afterwards to make the production of telephones more sustainable.
But, not only does mining of these raw materials have a negative impact on the environment, it also affects the local populations of the mining areas concerned. Indeed, mining in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo is often linked to humanitarian abuses. Through this action, we are also thus partnering with EIGHT.
This Belgian NGO works towards eradicating poverty, more particularly in African villages. Their idea is centered around sponsoring African villages, without the involvement of large institutions or a multi-million-euro budget, and without asking anything in return. By working with them, we want to sponsor a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo through this 'Don’t Miss The Call' action.
And so the circle is completed - that too is 'Think Possible'.