Many people simply don’t think about mobile phones as being a recyclable item. It’s a shame, really, considering that many used handsets still have a great deal of value, from reusability to recyclability.
Studies have shown that almost 200 million mobile phones will purchased in the U.S. over the next twelve months. The majority of consumers already own mobiles, so what will happen to them? Mostly, the phones will end up in a drawer somewhere. If not, the handsets will end up in a landfill where their hazardous elements can leak into the soil and ground water. These elements can include seepage from batteries or toxic contents from fluorescent lights to lead and mercury.
The average user replaces a phone every 18 months. Those who think that recycling old mobiles isn’t worth the effort are missing the boat.
“The more important issue with e-waste is resource conservation,” said Jennifer Bemisderfer, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association. “Electronics contain a lot of reusable, valuable raw materials that are a benefit to everyone.”
Many of these problems are being addressed by companies that are taking the time to offer takeback programmes and to educate the consumer.
One of those companies is CollectiveGood, a company that collects phones for recycling and reselling to markets in developing countries. The Colorado-based organisation sells off approximately 55 percent of the 8,000-10,000 phones it receives monthly. Some of those phones are resold abroad.
Collecting mobiles for resale is a huge market and a good fundraising tool for consumers. CollectiveGood gives people the opportunity to donate phones and choose which charity will receive the proceeds from the recycled handset.
Source: Physorg.com
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