Recycle Cell Phones, Reduce Toxic Waste

National Wildlife, June/July 2003

MOST OF US have bought one for some reason or another: It could save your life in an emergency; you need to keep in touch with family when you’re on the go; you like the freedom of being able to talk anytime, anywhere. But what do you do with that miraculous little bundle of plastic and fiber optics when you switch to another cell phone company, upgrade to a better plan or splurge on a fancy new phone with all the digital bells and whistles? If you’re like most people, you toss the old phone in a drawer or throw it in the trash. And that’s the rub. According to a recent report, 130 million cell phones—complete with batteries and chargers—will be pitched each year by 2005, adding up to an annual glut of 65,000 tons of garbage. Dumped in landfills and burned in incinerators, all that wireless waste is causing serious environmental problems and threatening human health, say experts.
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