IF the estimated 3 billion cell phone users in the world recycle just one of his/her phones, it can reduce greenhouse gas in the environment at a rate that?s equivalent to taking four million cars off the streets. Approximately 240,000 tons of raw materials will also be conserved.

Nokia, said to have the largest voluntary cell phone recycling scheme in the world, has a campaign that aims to make mobile phone owners socially responsible with their gadgets.

In the ?Nokia: Save Our Environment; Recycle And Run? held last Saturday at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, some 300 runners joined the fun run of 3-km and 5-km legs. Runners who turned over their phones?all brands are welcome, by the way?for recycling were given free shirts made of 2.5-kg bamboo material.

?We are accepting any phone, whatever brand. We are doing this for the industry. And we?re not making any money out of this. We believe we have to do the right thing for the industry,? said Sandeep Khanna, Nokia?s head of marketing.

Turn over old, unused cell phones, chargers, batteries and accessories. Recycling bins are in all Nokia Care Centers.

For every kilo of raw materials collected, Nokia will make a P20 donation to Bantay Kalikasan. Bantay Kalikasan funds the rehabilitation of the La Mesa Watershed in Quezon City, said Nokia environment manager Francis Cheong.

Cheong said all Nokia phones are up to 80 percent recyclable?no PVC, no nickel. The plastic parts do not go to waste, as these are used to fuel the recycling process. A ?bio? phone was launched in the West last year, he said. A greener phone made of bio-sourced materials, it uses cornstarch instead of plastic for its cover.

?Running is a very active sport so we chose that for this campaign to take off in the right direction. We want to make a strong statement, and running is the thing to do in a large community of passionate people,? Khanna said.

Globally, there are around 5,000 Nokia Care Points in 85 countries.

In the Philippines, Nokia?s six-month campaign for social responsibility will also soon launch sports TV campaign ads and green advocates such as show-biz celeb Gary V. and extreme-sports buff Jeena Lopez.

Winners were awarded Nokia 6600 Slide, Nokia 6220 and Nokia 5220 Xpress Music for first, second and third places respectively. Novelty awards were also given to the oldest and youngest runner, 68 and six years old, respectively, who each received duffel bag, towel, cap.