About C Mobile

At C Mobile we love how mobile networks enhance all of our lives. However, we wanted to provide you, the mobile network customer, with a choice for a more environmentally thoughtful way of buying. So, about four years ago, three like-minded people set out to make it easy for you to make a difference when choosing your mobiles and your network, and to have some fun along the way! [more about the team]

Why C Mobile?
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We offer 'major network' beating tariffs and a 'greener' approach to the use of your mobile phone.

  1. 20% of our profits go to the C Mobile Trust which spends 100% of it's money on supporting local community renewable energy projects in schools, clubs and other community organisations. Read about the project that inspired us here.
  2. Our SIM cards are pure white, with only the serial number on them.
    1. We couldn't see the point in printing our Logo on the SIM when it's hidden in the phone...so we don't waste the ink!
  3. NO New Masts. Thanks to our agreement with Orange, our network uses the existing phone masts on the Orange network; so we have not built a single new mast to launch the service. In fact; by the autumn of 2011 the network of T mobile will merge with that of Orange, so their masts will also be able to carry our traffic too. 9,000 masts will be removed between now and 2013.
  4. We sell SIMs and handsets separately as we believe that charging for handsets as part of the tariff encourages casual consumption of electronics as customers don’t treat the handsets as the expensive assets they are.
  5. Give a home to an unloved handset: we will be introducing a range of quality reconditioned handsets so you can love a rejected handset.
  6. We offer a range of eco-accessories to help you make your phone last longer and minimise the impact of its use.
  7. Our minimal pack doubles up as our getting started guide. We put the rest of the detailed information you may need onto the website.
  8. We use regular envelopes to send out the SIM, so they are never mistaken for unwanted direct mail.
  9. We encourage users to make their mobile phone purchase a considered one, to make it last.
  10. No paper bills. Ever!
  11. Our mobile phone recycling service never refuses to recycle a phone however old:
    1. 97% of old mobiles have a value and can be re-used for resale or by the industry for insurance replacements.
    2. You can take the value of the phone or choose to direct it to C Mobile Trust local renewable energy projects.
    3. Although prices vary from minute to minute we promise to pay you what we quote on screen and hold this price for up to 14 days.
The Way We Work: Making a Difference
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  1. To make sure we at C Mobile are doing the best we can for the planet, our Green Advisory Panel guides our approach to how we work and the products we offer. It also provides policy about how the C Mobile Trust (www.cmobiletrust.org) allocates the received donations.
  2. As you can imagine, our ethical and environmental practice is at the centre of how we work. As a result of this we are the only mobile network recommended in the 'Good Shopping Guide'.
  3. Our values help to guide our everyday working policies, from composting bins in the office to having a low impact travel policy. We have contracted with Waste Watch (www.wastewatch.org.uk) to ensure our processes and procedures are monitored with a clear targeted plan for improvement year-on-year.
  4. Our offices at C Mobile are in restored farm buildings in Dorset and our warehouse and systems are operated from the centre of the UK in Daventry, reducing the impact of distribution.
What we have learnt in the mobile business
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  1. Annual greenhouse gas emissions from the worldwide mobile industry are equivalent to the national output of a country the size of The Netherlands and more than the airline industry – That’s 245 Megatonnes of CO2 emissions. [Source: GSMA Climate Group: Green Manifesto November 2009]
  2. Seven out of ten SIMs, sent out FREE, are thrown in the bin because silicon chips are considered by most people to be disposable.
  3. The Industry ‘working handset return rates’ are typically around 5%. These handsets are rejected because of overselling or unwanted upgrades.
  4. Average handset life is 18 months, despite typical natural usable life of up to seven years.
  5. 15 million old mobiles are upgraded every year in the UK alone.
  6. It is estimated that the UK holds over 100 million old mobile phones, of which most have a monetary value.
  7. If disposed of incorrectly, mobile phones can end up in landfill, and harm our eco-systems, which is bad news for the environment. In fact, one mobile phone battery contains enough cadmium to pollute up to 600,000 litres of water!
  8. Two thirds of the mobile phone industry’s carbon footprint is the network.
The project that inspired us:
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St. Andrews School (Dorset) Water Turbine Project – Generating £2,000 per year. Some things just make sense

When we were looking for a way for C mobile to make a difference, we discovered a community project that seemed to just make sense and it inspired us:

St. Andrews Primary School Dorset, on our doorstep, had secured the rights to use the ancient disused mill race in the village. Conveniently located near a disused Wessex Water pump house and with an adjacent connection to the main power network. All the ingredients were in place to set up a new energy source for the school to benefit from.

They had publicity in the local press, and one of the most energetic PTAs in the country. Find out more and how even Jeremy Clarkson could not object [read more...] or [Register your project: Email to: Projectfunding@cmobiletrust.org]