Are you “due” for a new cell phone? Is your contract almost up? Do you have your eye set on that new Blackberry? What is it you’re going to do with your old phone and accessories?
According to Flipswap, a cell phone recycling company and one of Inc. 500’s fastest growing companies of 2009, the average American purchases a new cell phone and upwards of one-hundred dollars in accessories every 18 months. With just over 150 million active cell phones in the country, that leads one to ask, “What are we doing with our old phones?” With cell phones containing parts comprised of both precious metals, such as Gold, and toxic metals, like cadmium and Lead, we ought to be concerned with the afterlife of our favorite pocket and purse companion.
So what should we do with our drawers full of yesteryear’s mobiles? That is up to the consumer. What we ought to avoid is tossing them in the trash.
What is the BMP for getting rid of our old cell phones? The incentives to trade-in, donate, resell or simply recycle our old phones are endless and can be quite intimidating; after all, we’re smart consumers, right? Most major and local mobile cell providers offer trade-in value on used cell phones but all will accept your phone and accessories to be recycled.
The goal of this is simple: minimize waste and minimize carbon footprint. Recycling a cell phone not only keeps it out of a landfill, preventing toxins from leaching into our soil and water, but also lessens the need for raw materials extraction in order to produce new phones. Both of these increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions exponentially, every year. It uses less energy and costs less money to recycle and reuse cell phones compared to throwing them out with the trash.
The two major outcomes of recycling a cell phone are refurbishment for resale and recovering valuable materials (Gold, Copper, Plastic) to use in production of new phones and other electronics. Again, there are incentives out there for us to keep our phones out of landfills.
Flipswap offers gift cards to various stores for sending in your old phone and they even pay for shipping. Major providers like Verizon, Alltel, AT&T and Sprint all offer recycling programs that contribute proceeds towards charities and the options continue to grow. What ought to be a priority, however, is choosing the most environmentally sound alternative to landfill contribution. “Keeping it Local” comes to mind.
To All NOCA, Baker/Snoqualmie NF, USGS, NCI and other employees @ the Sedro Woolley and Marblemount offices....
For the remainder of 2010 (355 days and counting...), I will be accepting used cell phones and accessories (chargers, headsets, etc) to be donated to the Skagit Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Service Center in Mt. Vernon. You can find me in the Maintenance Division corner of the first floor at the Sedro-Woolley office. There will also be a dropbox located in the back kitchen of the administration building in Marblemount. If your contract date is approaching or you simply want to buy that new Blackberry, ponder turning in your used phone and help someone from our own neighborhood in need.
Download the EPA Cell Phone Recycling Info Sheet Here for you workplace.
Listen to EPA eCycling Poscasts, including cell phones, Here.
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