Recycling cell phones is the way to go, most consumers agree. But letting go of the old phone seems to be easier said than done. Here are some tips on how and where to recycle cell phones responsibly.
So you have just landed a cell phone upgrade, you have your new phone in hand and you are ready to donate or sell the old one. But there's one very important step - first get rid of your personal data on the used phone.
How? Use a cell phone data eraser, a free tool from ReCellular. The Cell Phone Data Eraser is a set of step-by-step instructions on how to remove personal information before recycling cell phones.
The data removal guides are customized for each cell phone model and available at wirelessrecycling.com, ReCellular's consumer website.
"The Cell Phone Data Eraser makes it easy for people to remove sensitive e-mails, phone numbers, pictures and other personal information so that they can participate in the variety of [cell phone recycling] industry programs available to them with confidence," said Chuck Newman, president of ReCellular.
Best Buy's pre-paid mail-in cell phone recycling program at its U.S. stores provides a convenient alternative to donating used or unwanted cellular phones, while raising funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Best Buy is distributing free, postage-paid cell phone donation envelopes to customers who buy cell phones or related equipment at any store in the U.S. Any cell phone, regardless of make, model or condition, is eligible for the donation envelopes.
Customers can use the envelopes to mail old cell phones to ReCellular. For each phone mailed, a $1 donation will be made to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Best Buy will also continue its other existing recycling efforts, including recycling kiosks inside Best Buy stores for cell phones, ink jet cartridges, and rechargeable batteries.
EnviroSmart has teamed up with SAM'S CLUB in a recycling program allowing customers to drop off used products, including cell phones, at select clubs.
Customers can drop off their used inkjet and laser toner cartridges, as well as their old cell phones and batteries, at convenient kiosks inside select SAM'S CLUB locations. The kiosks also offer postage-paid envelopes, so customers can mail in their empty inkjet cartridges from home for free.
The used cell phones and batteries collected by EnviroSmart are sent to ReCellular, a leading manufacturer and refurbisher of cell phones, PDAs and other handheld technology.
According to Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rechargeable battery and cell phone recycling, nearly half of those recently surveyed (45%) said they were hoarding old cell phones in their homes.
But when asked if they knew they could recycle their used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones, almost three-quarters (71%) answered in the affirmative.
Fortunately, when asked what would it take to get them to recycle their used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones, 58% of the survey respondents replied that convenient drop-off locations in their area would make a difference.
Consumers interested in locating participating retail stores in their area to drop off used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones can visit call2recycle or call toll free (in the U.S.) 877-2-RECYCLE.
Circuit City - The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) has integrated its Call2Recycle program into Circuit City stores throughout the U.S. You can drop off used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones in RBRC collection boxes at Circuit City stores nationwide. Circuit City recycles used rechargeable batteries commonly found in cordless electronic products such as cordless phones, laptop computers, PDAs, digital cameras, and cell phones.
HopeLine - Verizon Wireless' HopeLine collects no-longer-used wireless phones from any service provider and then refurbishes or recycles them in an environmentally safe way.
GRC Wireless Recycling - Offering cell phone recycling solutions to organizations of all types, GRC's programs for nonprofits - Shelter Alliance and Recycling Alliance - service more than 2,000 participants in 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
