Lately, we’ve been seeing a trend of giant tech companies taking steps toward more sustainable practices, although some of them have been debated for their effectiveness. Now, OnePlus is launching a new initiative aiming to have several thousand trees planted each year in exchange for returned devices. The company is partnering with climate action organization Ecologi in order to carry out its new sustainability effort properly.
Each returned OnePlus device will result in the planting of one tree in dedicated forest areas across the world. As mentioned above, the company expects to have several thousand trees planted per year as a result of people returning their devices in favor of picking up OnePlus’ newest releases — such as the OnePlus 10T, the OnePlus 10 Pro, and the Nord 2T.
The program is currently only available in Europe, and while some people may like holding on to their older smartphones, the new initiative provides a great motivator to recycle them. What’s more, early adopters of the company’s recycling program will get a trade-in credit of 200 British pounds/Euros throughout October in addition to the trade-in value of the phone.
Tech waste, also known as e-waste, is one of the fatsest-growing waste products on the planet — so it’s always nice when the biggest corporations take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. This isn’t OnePlus’ first effort to make the tech world more sustainable, as the company has leaned into using more green packaging and extended the life cycles of its devices to allow for longer use. Planting trees is another huge step forward in helping to directly combat deforestation across the globe.
The extent of OnePlus’ relationship with Ecologi is a little unclear, but Tuomas Lampén, OnePlus’ head of European strategy, says that the partnership is a “part of our wider environmental work we hope to continue to reduce our impact on the world and become a more sustainable business.” Based on that statement and the fact that OnePlus has a solid history of making sustainable efforts, it seems like this is only another step in the company’s plan to help create a more sustainable industry.
