Did you know that recycling the 100 million cell phones that are no longer used annually would save enough energy to power 18,500 US Households for a year? This is the statistic (and I would imagine the motivation) the EPA is providing citizens this week during National Cell Phone Recycling Week!
How it works: cell phone manufacturers, service providers and retailers are increasing awareness and recycling rates for cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). These Plug-In partners are conducting in-store promotions, contests and giveaways while providing in-store and online recycling opportunities to assist consumers in “eCycling”.
Why it’s necessary: EPA reports that only ten percent of cell phones get recycled annually, and part of the reason is that people haven’t been educated on where to recycle them.
Benefits: Recycling cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves natural resources. There are also valuable materials that make up your cell phone and accessories such as copper, precious metals, and plastics (which, as you may or may not be aware – required energy to extract and manufacture). So what’s the end result? Statistics from 2008 show that Plug-In partners collected 11 million cell phones for reuse and recycling. For the cell phone recycled, partners saved enough energy to power over 2, 035 US households for a year.
Your role: donate or recycle your unwanted cell phones, PDAs and their accessories. Simple!
A Shout out to: the players in the “Recycle your Cell Phone. It’s an Easy Call” Plug-In to eCycling partners – AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia Office Depot, Samsung, Sonly Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
I give my old cell phones to people I know who don’t want to renew their contract for a new phone or to our local schools who recycle the phones.
The homeless can also use old cell phone. Old phones that are not on a service plan can still dial 9-1-1. Yea it seems odd to think the homeless as needind a cell phone but there is no long distance and without a phone they could be homeless even longer.
Do not forget to recycle old tube TVs. There is quite a bit of lead and toxic products in them – along wth good glass and plastics.
Tricia,
Thanks for sharing. I was not aware of the National Cell Phone recycling week or the programs. Now that I am, I do have a few phones to recycle.