In today’s recessionary economy, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to be environmentally conscious. Let’s face it, going green often means spending more of your own green. At the same time, it is also becoming increasingly difficult for people to pay for charitable donations. However, in the case of old cell phones, it is possible to be environmentally friendly and charitable at the same time by recycling your old phone. Or, in the case of a broken cell phone, you can save a lot of money and be environmentally friendly by repairing your phone.
Let’s start with recycling. According to an EPA article, “Recycling cell phones helps the environment by saving energy and keeping … valuable materials out of landfills …” *
These “valuable materials” include precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper. Mobile phones also contain a large number of other metals in addition to plastic. All these materials require mining to obtain the raw materials and a significant amount of energy for their extraction and refining. According to the EPA, if the estimated 100 million cell phones that are estimated to be ready for disposal in the US were recovered, we would save enough energy to power 18,500 US households for one year.
In addition to energy and mining savings, people also need to be aware of the hazardous materials contained in cell phones. This includes substances like arsenic and lead. Putting these items in our landfills and incinerators has the potential to damage both our water and air supplies.
National Geographic has written an article on a particular element of cell phones: coltan. This metal is found in the Congo of central Africa and its mining has significantly reduced the habitat of several species. Most notably the African gorilla. **
So what can you do about it? First of all, don’t just throw away your cell phone. If you’ve updated phones and want to get rid of the one you already have, there are several nonprofits that would love to have your phone.
One such organization is Eco-Cell. They offer several recycling centers around the country, as well as free shipping if you don’t live near a recycling center. Phones that work or can be refurbished are donated to people in need (such as hospital patients who have recently discharged for emergency calls to 911). Phones that cannot be restored are recycled for their materials.
Another organization is Cell Phone for Soldiers, which allows you to donate your old cell phone to a soldier’s duty supervisors. They have partnered with AT&T, which then provides prepaid calling cards for these soldiers so they can call home from anywhere, anytime.
What if you need a new phone because you broke your existing one? Your cell phone provider will most likely tell you that it is junk and that you need to buy a new phone. There is another option: repair the phone yourself or find a professional service, such as Jet City Devices of Chicago and Seattle, to do it for you.
According to Matt McCormic, owner of Jet City Devices, “We frequently speak with customers who have bought 2-3 new phones before discovering our service. It’s a shame for two reasons. First, people just throw away those broken phones. Second, they paid $ 300 or more for each new phone when they could simply have repaired the phones for a lot less.
The next time you update phones or break your existing phone, don’t throw away the old phone. Contact Eco-Cell to find out how to recycle your phone, donate it to a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers, or do an internet search to have someone repair your phone.
Sources
———
* http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/cell-fs.htm
** http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0120_060120_cellphones.html