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While one old cell phone might seem to be an inconsequential piece of trash, 40,000 of them are thrown away every day in California, and each one of these phones contains arsenic, mercury, lead, copper, zinc and brominated flame retardants. In an effort to keep these materials out of our landfills, Waste Management subsidiary Recycle America Alliance (RAA), recently launched a special program in partnership with ReCellular, Inc. to recycle unwanted cell phones. Under this new program, RAA will process discarded cell phones at a specially designed cell phone processing facility, harvest recyclable parts, refurbish and re-deploy reusable phones and recycle non-reusable materials.
By partnering with ReCellular, Inc., one of the nation’s largest cell phone refurbishers/recyclers, RAA is able to reduce waste, because useable cell phones are reused instead of discarded. ReCellular refurbishes old phones, resells them and donates a portion of proceeds to Keep America Beautiful Inc. ReCellular also places refurbished cell phones with numerous charities and non-profit groups who are in desperate need of up-to-date communication technology. Some of these phones have been given to people in remote areas where access to technology has a profound and critical impact. "Access to communications can have far-reaching effects on people's lives," says Kate Raworth, co-author of the 2001 United Nations Human Development Report. Currently, donated cell phones are being used in the Tsunami disaster to coordinate relief and aid efforts.
RAA's recycling program will take cell phones collected from e-waste collection facilities and e-waste round ups. Locally, you can take your discarded phones directly to:
T-Mobile (inside the Antelope Valley Mall)
1233 W. Avenue P
Palmdale, California 935511
or
Verizon
39575 Trade Center Drive
Palmdale, California 93551
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