Old Electronics Become Unique Minecraft Coins in Tech Retailer Elkjøp's Recycling Initiative

To produce electronics like a phone or a computer requires extracting valuable minerals and metals from our natural resources, and the world is running out of them. Recycling these electronics and the materials inside is a great solution for a more sustainable industry, yet most of us have old or obsolete electronics with precious materials inside that lie forgotten in drawers and basements. 

To encourage more people, especially the younger generation, to start recycling their old gadgets, Elkjøp Nordic is launching a unique Nordic campaign called ‘Urban Miner’ where gamers can return their e-waste and get Minecraft currency in return. The concept is developed by NORD DDB in collaboration with Microsoft and Elkjøp Nordic. 

“Through Urban Miner, we want to use the world's biggest hobby to engage new target groups and convey an important message - there are millions of old gadgets lying around in Nordic households that need to be recycled. In the same way that the characters in Minecraft mine for materials to make something new, we want people to 'mine' their old electronics by returning them to us so that the valuable materials in them can be recovered”, says Nils Martin Øyo, marketing manager gaming at Elkjøp Nordic. 

This unique initiative connects Elkjøp Nordic to the world’s biggest gaming community with over 140 million players and enables real action. 

“This is a sustainability initiative driven by a creative idea rooted in pop culture. We work where the target group is and make it easy for them to act. Minecraft is a great example of people using their ingenuity and problem-solving abilities to create. It is a case of the virtual world coming to the aid of the real world, says Jens Østrem”, creative at Nord DDB.

Minecraft is owned by the multinational software company Microsoft. For Microsoft, the initiative's clear opportunity to get young people to act sustainably has been decisive for  entering into the collaboration.  

“With an ambitious sustainability vision, we will always explore new ways to raise awareness and engage society. We know that Minecraft can play a big role in inspiring a better world, and therefore it has been a pleasure to collaborate with Elkjøp Nordic on Urban Miner. Hopefully the campaign will inspire all generations to recycle old electronics, and we look forward to seeing more households in the Nordics bring their old gadgets to the nearest Elkjøp, Elgiganten or Gigantti store”, says Hamre, Xbox content and subscription lead vest -Europe. 

The campaign units consist of films suitable for all digital platforms as well as cinema. In the films, we see Minecraft characters come alive to ‘mine’ old electronics around the house. There will also be large in-store activations with films and posters that run parallel to the paid campaign, in stores across the Nordics. 

“This project really shows the creative power of the NORD creative group. It's a truly Nordic campaign, the creative idea was developed in Oslo, and is launched with the  support of the Stockholm team, and now run right across the Nordics. I'm really proud of the entire team, says Simon Higby”, Nordic creative director at NORD DDB. 

How does it work?  

Anyone in the Nordics can take their old electronics to their nearest Elkjøp, Elgiganten or Gigantti store to recycle them and get valuable Minecoins in return which they can redeem in game. Each gadget that is recycled has a value corresponding to the recyclable materials that are found in them. This adds an educational component to the campaign by highlighting the different materials, what they do, and what they are worth.