Toilet-Disposed Mobiles Menace Helsinki's Sewers

Biting the hand that feeds IT The Register Mobile Devices

Original URL:

Toilet-disposed mobiles menace Helsinki's sewers

By Jan Libbenga (feedback at theregister.co.uk)

More and more mobile phones are turning up in the sewage system of the Helsinki Metropolitan area, according to Helsinki Water, which serves over one million households. It's not known if the phones are purposely or accidentally disposed of, but with 4.8m mobile users in Finland, it's reasonable to expect a certain number of toilet-related mobile incidents.

Helsinki Water didn't supply exact numbers, but dropping mobiles down the loo is pretty common elsewhere too. In the UK alone, as estimated

600,000 mobiles are flushed every year. As mobile phones get smaller and smaller, this number will undoubtedly increase, although dropping a cell phone down the pan is still only number six on a list of mobile phone accidents compiled by Swedish retailers. Most mobiles apparently come a cropper as a result of tight jeans.

At the sewage treatment plant in Viikinmki in Finland, one thousand tons of solid waste, equalling 200 truckloads, is collected every year. Apart from mobile phones, false teeth, toys, cameras and even torches are found.

Those misplaced items are difficult to remove and will eventually cause system blockages, environmental manager Lundstrm warned newspaper Helsinki Sanomat today. According to Helsinki Water, annual waste treatment fees are increasing as a result of the rubbish found in Finnish sewers.

Related stories

This phone is stolen (28 March 2005)

GSMA declares war on mobile phone theft (26 February 2004) Mobile phone theft is far worse than we thought (20 February 2002) Copyright 2005

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at

. Hundreds of new articles daily.

*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, The Register, UK.

For more information go to:

Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk