DEC’s Dump Hearing December 3, 2008


Trash Talkin’

January is one of the busiest times for cell phone recycling, because so many are replaced or upgraded during the holidays. Since your trusty cell contains not-so-nice materials like arsenic, lead and zinc, keeping it out of a landfill is a must. Even if you think one phone is too small to do much environmental harm, its power comes in volume – over 1.1 billion phones were sold in 2007 alone.

Do Some Good

A majority of cell phone “recycling” is actually “reuse.” Often, old phones are refurbished to be sold in other countries, where the demand for the latest-and-greatest isn’t as high. Or, phones are reused here in the U.S. to help out victims of domestic violence or support charitable organizations through their resale. Even if there isn’t a collection spot near you, mail-back programs mean you can help out right from home.

Excerpt from article found on earth911.com. Type in “cell phones” to find complete article.

Published in the Jan/Feb 2009 Newletter