Donating Old Cell Phones
|
|
Donating Old Cell Phones |
|
|
 What
to do with old phones is no small issue. The United States alone has more than
200 million cell phone subscribers, and about 5 million of those change carriers
each month, which usually means getting a new phone. Even when they don't change
carriers, people often change phones to take advantage of improved technology,
innovative features and changing fashions. People get
excited about checking all of T-Mobile
new cell phones without thinking about what they'd end up doing with their
old ones.The average user gets a new phone about every 18 months. That's left the United States with hundreds of millions of used cell phones, only a fraction of which have been resold, recycled or reused. Californians, for example, throw away 44,000 cell phones every day. Eventually, owners may get fed up with the clutter and toss their wireless handsets into the nearest trash can, the worst possible outcome. Cell phones and chargers contain a variety of toxic materials that can poison the soil, water and air. Discarded cell phones account for nearly 65,000 tons of toxic waste each year. Currently donating or recycling cell phones is at less than 1 percent. The good news is that mobile phone manufacturers have recognized the need for cell phone recycling, stepping up their efforts to stop this enormous threat to the environment. All five national mobile phone carriers have instigated a mobile phone recycling take-back plan, accepting unwanted cell phones at any of their retail locations nationwide. You can make a difference with cell phone recycling. Help our environment and the planet. Help a charity and a person in need. The used cell phones stashed away in your closets or drawers have real value. To some, these cell phones offer an opportunity to communicate in a way that they never have. The materials that comprise our old cell phones can also be recycled and reused to make many other products, helping to preserve the world around us. Imagine the difference each of us can make if we just do our part! Before donating your mobile phone, erase any stored information, including your contact list, text messages, and listings of incoming/outgoing numbers. Most cell phones use a "master reset" to delete information quickly and easily. Also, verify that your account has been cancelled with your service provider. Besides helping the environment there are several charities that are set up to take cell phone donations. These charities use the money earned or the phones themselves to help those in need. One such charity is Cell Phones for Soldiers. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. The phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone, enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad. Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., with $21 of their own money. Since then, the registered 501c3 non-profit organization has raised almost $2 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas. “Cell Phones for Soldiers started as a small way to show our family’s appreciation for the men and women who have sacrificed the day-to-day contact with their own families to serve in the U.S. armed forces,” says the teens’ father, Bob Bergquist. “Over the past few years, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others. But, we have also seen the need to support our troops continue to grow as more troops are sent overseas for longer assignments.” In May of 2004, the 911 Cell Phone Bank was created to provide an ongoing and readily available source of emergency cell phones and funds to meet the unexpected and urgent needs of participating law enforcement and affiliated victims services agencies. Since then, the 911 Cell Phone Bank has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars and provided thousands of emergency cell phones for victims services organizations nationwide. We have successfully relieved the operational burden of managing a emergency cell phone program from our participants. By donating your cell phone you are doing more than just providing emergency communications for someone in need. In addition, you are helping to provide funds that support the activities of law enforcement and victims services organizations nationwide. The National Coalition against Domestic Violence also partners with ReCellular, Inc. for the collection of used cell phones. They receive a portion of the monies that come from the sale of refurbished cell phones to support their programming that helps stop violence in the home. |
| Innovative Improvements is dedicated to providing quality information for improving all aspects of everyday life. |
|
|