Recycling Used Cell Phones for the Planet

It's estimated that around 500 million used cell phones are occupying drawers, closets, and other spots in consumers' homes throughout the country.  There are even more used phones being sent to landfills each year where they take up space for a long, long time because they can't decompose.  Yes, they are small, but they are also toxic and are single handedly becoming one of the largest trash problems in our country - right up there with plastic bags.  The real tradegy is how simple it would be to break this cycle. 

In the US, the average family has three old cell phones sitting around their house that are literally just sitting there, doing nothing.  They may be broken or simply not needed anymore due to upgrades.  Instead of keeping these old phones or throwing them away, there are several options for ways to dispose of them in an eco friendly manner.  Many mobile providers will accept used cell phones at their stores, sometimes for a discount on service or next phone purchase.  The providers then refurbish these phones and sell them back to consumers to reuse (at a discounted rate, of course).  You can also recycle old phones by dropping them in boxes often found at grocery stores or electronics stores. 

Beyond taking the right steps to keep your old cell phones out of landfills, you can start purchasing used cell phones to help combat this problem.  You can often find cell phones that have been refurbished at discounted prices when compared to the same phone bought brand-new.  Refurbished cell phones are restored to like new settings, so they perform just like a new phone.  Additionally, as more people begin to buy used cell phones, demand for new phones goes down and production will be cut back.  The end result will be less pollution.

New cell phones are becoming more and more expensive and less affordable.  Switching to a used cell phone and recycling your old phone will save you money and make a positive environmental impact. 

The environment is one of the growing "hot topics" of today. Everywhere you look people are looking for ways to be more energy efficient, conserve resources, and generally make the world we live in a better place. Surprisingly, the cell phone market is no exception. In 2005, it was estimated that Americans replaced over 100 million cell phones. That's a lot of old phones that needed a place to go. Some got stashed in a drawer for emergency use purposes, some were recycled, and a large majority were simply thrown away. Those phones that got thrown away were likely sent to a landfill or an incinerator. The metals, plastics, and harmful chemicals in things like the batteries are not the sort of things we want seeping in to our soil or being burned into our atmosphere. Yet, unfortunately, that is exactly what happens.

So how can we be more "green" with our cell phones? The answer is the same as it is with all other textile products: Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle.

Reduce: Cell phones are certainly handy devices, and it seems that new phones with newer (and better?) features come out every week. This leads to a huge number of people constantly upgrading their phones for newer models. While it's great to have the coolest technology at your fingertips, the downside of this habit/obsession is that it produces a lot of waste that ends up in places like landfills, where it doesn't belong. To help fight this issue, I encourage you to reduce the frequency in which you purchase a new cell phone. Granted, some phones break or get lost and must be replaced, but if you're one of those people that gets a new phone every 6 months just because, you should consider reducing your turnover rate. If we all held on to the phone that we have for 6 months longer than we want to, we can have a huge impact on the environment in the form of less toxic waste.

Reuse - If your phone gets broken or you lose it, instead of buying the "latest and greatest" (and being forced to renew your contract) consider a used cell phone. Used cell phones can be found at great prices, and often you can "upgrade" with a used phone for cheaper than buying a new phone. Additionally, you'll be keeping one more phone from the landfill or incinerator.

Recycle: Finally, when you do replace your current phone (hopefully with a used cell phone), take the necessary steps to ensure that your old phone doesn't end up in a landfill or incinerator. There are numerous places in every city where you can drop off old phones for recycling and some online services will even mail you a prepaid envelope to send your phone to a recycling center.

We can all make a difference by following the old adage of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Next time you need a new phone, make sure you check out the used and refurbished market. You'll be amazed at how easy and cost effective it is to look at something like a used Blackberry instead of paying full retail price through your service provider. And, don't forget to recycle that old phone!