Justin Ahrens
Sarah Ahrens
Kara Ayaram
Tim Damitz
Bob Davidson
Susan Herda
Kerri Liu
Katrina Strich
Intern
Guest Blogger
The other day, as I was looking through my desk drawers, I stumbled upon one of my old cell phones. It got me thinking. What happens to old cell phones? The sad reality is that most of them wind up in the trash. A great alternative to having your old phones sit in a landfill for the rest of time is to recycle them. Recycling phones does a couple of really good things for the environment. It not only keeps harmful toxic materials (mercury, lead, nickel, cadmium) out of landfills, but it also keeps reusable components like metals and plastics recycling through the system.
Another great part about recycling your old phones is that it’s easy. There are many great websites that you can send your electronic donations. One that is particularly interesting is CollectiveGood. This site allows you to not only recycle your phones but also gives you the ability to choose a charity in which you’d like to donate the money you would receive for your phone. There is a wide variety of causes listed, anything from the Center for Domestic Violence to the American Red Cross. It’s as simple as selecting a charity and sending your phone off. Who ever said it isn’t easy being green?
Its also pretty amazing that one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
Throw your old phone up on Ebay or Craigslist and make some cash for grabbing that latest App from the store.
You may be surprised what people are willing to pay for recycled electronics
Rule 29 – Thank you for spreading the word. Cell phone recycling rates in the U.S. really need a boost. According to EPA estimates, only 10% of cell phones were being recycled in 2007.
One of the primary reasons for such low participation is lack of awareness. The majority of Americans are unaware that their cell phones can be effectivley reused and recycled. Articles like this shine a sorely needed light on the issue.
Another tool that I encourage readers to consider is a short video that Sprint recently produced with Outpost Worldwide. It can be viewed online. In under two minutes it frames the issue, illustrates how phones can reused and recycled, and shows how easy it is to take action. It can be found at http://www.sprint.com/recycle. Forwarding a link of this video to friends and family would be a great way to help raise awareness.
Keep up the good work!
Darren Beck
Sprint Corp Social Responsibility
Twitter @DarrenBeck
Darren,
Thanks for the comments – we will spread the love.
Justin