A short write-up on how to recycle cell phones which will help you do away with your old handset in a safe manner – whilst ensuring that you don’t end up harming the environment, or yourself for that matter. Continue reading…
The use of cell phones has increased manifolds over the last decade or so, with the total number of handsets in use in the world today being put at an estimated 5 billion. With 302,947,098 active users, the United States ranks second in the world in terms of cell phone users. While the number of cell phones is increasing, the average time for which an individual would use a handset – i.e. the life of a handset, has come down by a significant extent.
Within a year, most of the cell phones either end up in the closet or make their way to garbage dumping sites via your dustbin. While the former is of no use whatsoever, the latter can be seriously detrimental for the environment – as well as your health. A much better way out is to opt for cell phone recycling, wherein your old cell phone is refurbished, reset and reused.
Why Recycle Old Cell Phones?
Basically, cell phones contain toxic metals – such as lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium, all of which have the tendency to pollute the environment and affect human health. When you dispose your old cell phone in the garbage bin, through which it is sent to landfills, the toxic metals in it come in contact with soil, and pollute it. The problem is not just restricted to this, as these metals also have the tendency to pollute ground water sources and eventually harm humans. Instead, when you opt for cell phone recycling, these metals are extracted and reused as a result of which they do not contaminate the environment. More importantly, reusing these metals will also reduce the need of mining them.
How to Recycle Cell Phones?
In order to recycle your cell phone, along with the batteries and chargers, you can just go ahead and drop them at the recycling center in your neighborhood or send them to some recycling centers via post. If you want to send them to the recycling center, one of the best option is the Mail Back program introduced by the U.S. Postal Service wherein free envelopes – in which you have to put the cell phones and send them, are made available at 1500 different post offices. More recently, some of the leading mobile manufacturers have also come up with the novel practice of accepting used cell phones, and recycling them on their own. Similarly, you can also donate the phone to some charity organizations which takes these handsets and gives them to the recycling centers. You can use the same measure to recycle cell phone batteries, chargers, and other small electronic goods. If you are using a disposable cell phone you can simply give them to plastic recycling centers and get rid of them.
Recycling Cell Phones for Money
Though it won’t fetch you the amount of money that you spent on buying the handset, selling your used handset is yet another convenient method of getting rid of it – and earning some money from that. You can either sell it to cell phone dealer, who buys old cell phones and sells them after refurbishing them, or cell phone repair shops, wherein they are disassembled and their parts are used for the purpose of repair. If neither of these two options are feasible, you can resort to some websites or charity organizations which buy old cell phones, and give them to those in need. While a handful of charity organizations carry out this activity, there is no dearth of websites which do the same. You can also opt for exchange offers wherein your old cell phone can give you some discount on the new cell phone that you buy.
Everybody makes a great deal of hue and cry about environmental pollution, but very few make it a point to contribute their bit by putting in some efforts to stop these detrimental effects on the environment. We are hoping that you belong to the category of people who make it a point to turn ignition off on red lights, keep the doors closed when the air conditioner is on and put your desktop off when it is not is use. If you indeed are, these simple measures to get rid of cell phones will help you do a bit more for the cause.
