Germany Follows US And Leads Europe With Market-Driven Recycling

ATLANTA, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Germany's economic power and influence have placed it in a key leadership role to mitigate the damage of the European economic crisis. By leading the way in using green incentives to empower the consumer and increase economic activity, Germany is helping to maintain the strength of the Euro and the EU itself. 

Currently, there are roughly 6 billion active cell phones in the world. The International Telecommunications Union predicts that by 2014, there will be more in-use cell phones globally than there are people. This is already the reality in Germany where the population is 82 million and the number of active mobile phones is over 107 million.

Though strict recycling policies and consumer online services for mobile phone trade-in have been active in Germany for years, little more than 5 percent of the phones replaced by new purchases are refurbished or recycled. Phobio Germany seeks to promote the responsible and sustainable reuse of mobile devices by leading Europe in the area of incentivized mobile trade-in. 

Phobio Germany is providing consumer trade-in services at the point-of-sale for retailers, which is a model that has been active and successful in the US for few years.  As most any economist knows, "the world runs on incentives," and there are limits to the extent that mere goodwill can drive green initiatives.  Phobio Germany has taken the best practices, software, and procedures for incentivized device trade-in, based on Phobio North America's platform, and customized it for German retailers. 

Through this trade-in model, retailers offer their customers immediate in-store credit for trading in their old handsets (or "Handy's" in the German slang) which will be refurbished or recycled.  For retailers, the service increases store traffic and customer retention, creating the ideal opportunity for cross-selling.

"Phobio is the only POS tool, which actually constitutes added value to the shop - a fact that is already being acknowledged by our customers in Germany, Australia, Italy, and the US." Marc Schmidt, Team Lead at Phobio Germany

One of Phobio Germany's most notable retail partners in this endeavor is Brodos AG, a distributor and retailer of telecommunication products. Brodos AG has a franchising system of major retailers, including the company's independent mobile chain my-eXtra, and supplies mobile phones and enhancements to about 5,000 European dealers, of which 1,000 are Germany based.

"In regards to the progression and acceptance of Recommerce in Germany, Phobio is leading the pack." Fabian Linder, Team Lead at Phobio Germany

Phobio Germany is helping German companies understand that being environmentally-friendly isn't just a green initiative--it can also boost their bottom-line. The more trade-in services benefit both consumers and retailers, the more incentive there is adopt greener practices in consumer electronics.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Phobio Germany's staff, please contact Stefan Heinisch at [email protected].

SOURCE Phobio