Mobile phone recycling is on the rise according to Hitwise data.

Internet searches related to the recycling of mobile phones have almost trebled over the last 12 months. UK Internet searches for a portfolio of mobile phone recycling search terms – such as ‘recycle mobile phones’, ‘mobile phone recycling’ and ‘phone recycling’ – increased by 189% between the week ending 17/05/2008 and the week ending 16/05/2009.

Further proof that money concerns are trumping environmental concerns in the current environment is evident in the decrease in searches for other types of recycling. UK Internet searches for the recycling of other items – including computers, electronics (excluding mobile phones), CDs, clothes and furniture – have fallen by 50% over the last 12 months. Searches for regional recycling centres have also decreased by a third over the same period.