Festivalgoers already handed in over 20,000 old mobile phones this summer
This summer, Proximus is once again touring several major Belgian festivals to collect old mobile phones for reuse and recycling. After six festivals, the total already stands at 20,584 devices — more than double last year's figure and well above expectations. This weekend, Pukkelpop will be the last festival of the summer where visitors can hand in their old device and contribute to a circular economy.
As a proud partner of Graspop Metal Meeting, TW Classic, Les Ardentes, Rock Werchter, Werchter Boutique, Les Francofolies de Spa, and Pukkelpop, Proximus invites festival visitors to bring their old mobile phone or tablet and drop it off at the Proximus stand. In return, they receive the equivalent of two free drinks, either as vouchers or as a virtual credit on their wristband or cashless card.
With the support of festival organizers — who have promoted the initiative through their communication channels — festivalgoers have been actively encouraged to take part. The results speak for themselves: after six festivals, 20,584 phones have already been collected, earning participants more than 40,000 treats. This is more than double the 9,724 devices collected during the 2024 campaign.
The potential is significant. Across Belgium, an estimated 3 million "forgotten" phones are gathering dust in closets and drawers.
Stronger focus on refurbishment, reuse, and recycling
During Pukkelpop, each visitor can hand in up to 2 devices at the Proximus booth on the festival ground. The collected phones are processed by Brainscape, a Recupel-certified partner responsible for sorting the devices. Depending on the phone’s condition, it is refurbished, parts are reused, or it is sent to Umicore for the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, cobalt, silver, and gold.
This summer campaign is part of a broader Proximus commitment to extending the lifespan of devices and placing a strong emphasis on reuse, refurbishment, and recycling. In addition to festivals, phones are collected year-round in Proximus shops, during other events and through initiatives in schools and businesses. In 2024, a total of 140,000 mobile phones and tablets were collected.
This initiative is a real win-win: it allows visitors to fully enjoy the atmosphere of the festival, all while making a concrete contribution to a better environment. The number of devices collected so far has exceeded our expectations. We hope that Pukkelpop visitors will seize this last chance to help us push this record even further.