True Corporation aims to tackle e-waste through the "e-Waste TinkTookTee DTorJai" project, to provide a way to recycle used smartphones, mobile phones, accessories or electrical devices at 154 branches of True Shop, TrueSphere and Dtac outlets nationwide.
The company aims to recycle 1 million items of such e-waste within one year of the project's launch, and wants none of its e-waste going to landfill by 2030.
As part of the initiative, True yesterday announced its collaboration with leading partners, including All Now Logistics and Total Environmental Solutions to handle logistics and recycling operations, along with TrueCoffee, PAUL, Tao Bin, Sukishi Korean Charcoal Grill, NARS, Ultima II and Major Cineplex, which will offer Drop for Rewards privileges to their customers.
True chief executive Manat Manavutiveth said the move will further develop management of the country's e-waste ecosystem following what True and Total Access Communication (Dtac) did through their e-waste projects before their recent merger.
"The latest project is also the result of our two organisations' combined strengths to continue and enhance e-waste management by expanding e-waste collection points nationwide with safe and efficient e-waste logistics and recycling processes," he said.
A combined 2 million units of smartphone and electrical device waste was eliminated by True Corp and Dtac during the previous five years.
True cited reports by the Geneva Environment Network, BBC News and IT research house IDC that the world generates 53.6 to 54 metric tonnes of e-waste a year and is projected to reach 75 metric tonnes by 2030. In addition, there are currently 5.3 billion mobile phones which will become e-waste.
In Thailand, 16.7 million mobile phones were sold in 2022, while 5.7 million 5G smartphones were sold, an increase of 14% compared to 2021. However, mobile phone e-waste reached 25,050 tonnes but only 17 tonnes, or 1%, of this was properly recycled.
The recycling of one mobile phone helps generate a 12.6-kilogramme reduction of carbon dioxide entering into the earth's atmosphere. Recycling one million phones represents the equivalent of taking 1,368 cars off the road for one year or saving the electricity of 370,000 households for one year, according to a study by Chulalongkorn University.
Meanwhile, recycling 4.6 billion mobile phones could be compared to reducing the level of carbon dioxide produced by 6 million cars.
Mr Manat said e-waste is a critical pain point for the world as it takes a very long time to decompose, examples being 450 years for plastic, or 80-100 years for aluminium, while some devices cause harmful chemicals to enter the surface of the earth, such as mercury, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and chromium.
"True and Dtac brands are both sales distribution channels for millions of mobile phones and devices annually. The company, therefore, is well aware of the responsibility to appropriately manage e-waste in an integrated manner and based on international standards in order to achieve our zero e-waste to landfill goal," Mr Manat said.
