Cell Phones

Are you thinking about changing your wireless service when your contract ends? If you answer yes, you are one of millions of people who are expected to switch their cell phone carrier each year. Product and service innovations offered by cell phone providers (such as picture phones and number portability) are causing many people to retire their wireless products. Once retired, millions of cell phones will pollute our landfills unless recycling programs become more utilized.

Phones that end up in landfills can leak harmful chemicals including mercury, lead and cadmium into groundwater. Luckily, there are many ways to recycle cell phones:

· Municipal Solid Waste Convenience Center or Government Centers

· Electronics Recycling Events

· Wireless Service Providers

· Schools or Charitable Organizations (please contact your favorite before dropping off these items)

Unwanted Cell Phones Put to Good Re-Use

The Wireless Foundation oversees philanthropic programs that utilize wireless technology to help American communities. Their programs include Donate-A-Phone®, Call To Protect®, ClassLink and VITA™. These programs benefit victims of domestic violence, Easter Seals, the National Organization on Disability, public schools and Samaritan Awards where wireless phones are used to summon help in an emergency. Visit their website to find a list of various donation sites.

ReCellular Inc. is the largest recycler and reseller of used wireless phones and accessories in the wireless industry. In 2002, over 1.5 million wireless handsets were collected, refurbished and resold or recycled by ReCellular throughout the world.  Visit their website to find a list of various donation sites.

CollectiveGood is the mobile devices recycling resource. If you have spare mobile phones, pagers or PDAs sitting on a shelf or in a drawer, you can recycle them here in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.  Recycling your mobile phones is as easy as selecting the charity you want to receive the proceeds from your donation, submitting your information so that you can get a tax credit, and sending in your phone.  Visit their website to browse the list of registered charitable organizations.