Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub are urging people in the UK to donate their old phones as new research reveals 46% are holding onto devices due to sentimentality.
New research has found that an estimated 123 million devices are unused in drawers across the UK, largely because of the memories they hold, with 46% of people in the UK feeling emotionally attached to them.
These forgotten devices collectively store around 11 billion photos, 8.7 billion messages, and nearly 8 billion videos, the research says.
Virgin Media O2 is giving away a voucher code for a free CEWE PHOTOBOOK to the first 500 people to donate a working, eligible device to Community Calling – an initiative set up with Hubbub to tackle digital exclusion.
The CEWE PHOTOBOOK is made from 100% recycled FST-certified paper and sold for £37.99.
Old devices often hold our most treasured memories, yet they’re left forgotten in drawers.
Community Calling was established in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide smartphones to help people who couldn’t afford devices or connectivity get online.
Devices are securely data-wiped by Relove Technology and provided to people who need them.
Since 2020, the initiative has donated more than 24,000 devices to those who need them across the country, including victims of domestic abuse, refugees, and disadvantaged communities.
The scheme’s partners include Women’s Aid, Crisis, Salford City Council and Supporting Children with Diabetes.
Commenting on the scheme, Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Virgin Media O2, said: “Old devices often hold our most treasured memories, yet they’re left forgotten in drawers.
“We want to help people unlock those moments, preserve them properly, and then give their tech a second life.
“This partnership between Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub is about making it easy to do both, turning digital clutter into something meaningful, and helping someone else in the process.”