M&S cooks up goods for gadget recycling

Have tech, but nothing to eat? Don't worry, you can now swap unwanted electrical items for M&S vouchers and feast upon the store's food and fashions.

Recycling firm ShP Limited has teamed up with Marks & Spencer to launch a website designed to help reduce the one million tonnes of electronic waste that the UK, apparently, generates each year.

Dave Hughes, Director of M&S Direct, said:

"As technology advances and new models are launched many of us opt to trade up, leaving our old gadgets redundant. By recycling these unwanted items we can help reduce electrical waste, provide those in need with cheaper access to technology, raise funds for good causes and consumers can even use the vouchers to get money off their next gadget upgrade.”

The project welcomes unwanted gadgets such as mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, satnavs or MP3 players and offers an on-line quote for most things. If content with the evaluation, customers can exchange their item for M&S vouchers or donate the value to one of its supported charities.

A visit to the website revealed that one of the working phones here at Vulture Central has no value, apparently. However, the phone in question could fetch about £50 on a we-buy-any-phone type webpage. Still, even if your retired tech really does have no value, M&S will still recycle it for free.

Further checks on the M&S recycling site rated an Apple iPhone 3G 16GB at £147, which will notch up 36 bottles of Pinot Grigio or 1208 British pork sausages, depending on your tastes.

At £131, a Nokia N97 mini will get you 130 pairs of M&S bargain basement cotton rich socks. If you've any hesitation about such a trade, the remarks on the level of fluff that appear on the store's lively comments section will no doubt seem familiar to any regular Reg reader. ®