With nearly 1.5m passengers travelling on the Whippet bus network every year, things get left behind. Around 500 lost property items are found or handed in each year, including electronic devices like phones, laptops and tablets.
While many are reunited with their owners, a surprising number of devices remain unclaimed, and their disposal poses environmental and data privacy issues. That’s why Whippet has partnered with Ready Set Recycle to safely and securely recycle unclaimed electronic devices left on their network.
Whippet holds all lost property for at least three months to give people plenty of time to track down their missing belongings. After this point, lost property items are typically donated or recycled—but the unclaimed electronic devices are more complicated than a scarf or umbrella.
Personal data remains on these devices, and electronic items are more difficult to recycle or dispose of correctly. It’s an issue facing not only the public transport industry but any other businesses or organisations faced with large amounts of lost property.
Ed Cameron, Interim General Manager at Whippet, said, “By partnering with Ready Set Recycle, we’re ensuring that unclaimed devices will be securely wiped of all personal data and recycled sustainably. As specialists in the field, RSR can save many more items from destruction and give them a new lease of life, minimising electrical waste and making sure that even smaller items like charging cables are recycled effectively.”
“We’re dedicated to ensuring that unclaimed electronic devices are handled with the utmost care and responsibility. By partnering with Whippet, we’re not only preventing unnecessary waste but also ensuring that the devices are processed securely and sustainably. Together, we’re reducing the environmental impact of e-waste while addressing the critical issue of data protection” said Mat Lambert, COO at Ready Set Recycle.