January 11, 2008—Leading cell phone makers, service providers, and retailers that are members of EPA’s voluntary Plug-In to eCycling program have teamed up with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide easy cell phone recycling.
Under the program, cell phones can be dropped off at such locations as: AT&T Wireless, Best Buy, Office Depot, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, T-Mobile, and LG Electronics. They can also be mailed at Nokia, Sprint, Samsung T-Mobile, Motorola, or LG Electronics.
EPA notes that cell phones, PDAs, cell phone batteries, chargers, and other accessories are made from valuable resources such as precious metals, copper, and plastics. Recycling cell phones and accessories reportedly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, keeps valuable material out of landfills and incinerators, and conserves natural resources.
EPA estimates that 100-130 million cell phones are no longer being used, yet fewer than 20 percent of them are recycled each year. Recycling all of the unwanted cell phones in the US would reportedly save enough energy to power more than 194,000 US households with electricity for one year.
For more information visit EPA’s Recycle Your Cell Phone or Plug-In to eCycling Web sites.
