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March 17, 2023
Octopus will plant a tree for every phone purchased
Ex-EGiant and Music Magpie executive Justin Woolridge (above left) and cofounder Ashley Knight have set up a new mobile device recycling business called The Tech Octopus.
Woolridge has worked for 10 years in the sector. As well as Music Magpie and E Giant he has been at Mazuma and Eco Renew Group. Roles included handling e-commerce, commercial and operations teams, and website development e-commerce platforms. He launched Music Magpie’s Rental and SmartDrop kiosks.
“I’ve seen what works well and where other businesses have weaknesses. I aim to use this experience and understanding of this market to offer products and services with longevity.
‘There’s a huge distrust and nervousness in the recycling sector. Lots of customers think they’ll be ‘ripped off’. We want to re-build that trust and give customers a reason to recycle their tech”, he said.
“We have plans to take recycling to the next level by offering a quicker and more convenient service than anyone else with variety and choice when it comes to delivery and collections. We have a ‘circular’ proposition allowing customers to ‘offset’ the trade-in price to buy another device.
“We aim to partner with other companies with similar beliefs to provide their customers with bespoke and tailored recycling solutions. This market has formidable players. We need to stand out with something different.
Ashley Knight added:
“Every year, 4.7 million devices end up in landfill here in the UK. We pledge to make a difference. We offer super-competitive pricing and we aim to push the environmental agenda by planting a tree for every phone we buy”.
The company will concentrate on mobile devices’ but expects growth in other tech categories such as ding Audio, Drones and Smart Tech.