ReCellular Reuses and Recycles Cell Phones By the Ton
DEXTER, Michigan, February 20, 2009 (ENS) – A mass of used cell phones, weighing as much as three Boeing 747-400s, was collected and processed for reuse and recycling last year by one Michigan-based company, which today issued its first annual sustainability report.
ReCellular, the world’s largest recycler and reseller of used cellular phones and accessories, collected and processed 5.5 million phones in 2008, a 35 percent increase over the previous year.
“Recently, we have seen a sharp increase in recycling as people become more environmentally conscious,” said ReCellular chief executive Chuck Newman. “We have also seen literally hundreds of companies springing up to take advantage of peoples’ good intentions.”
“Unfortunately,” said Newman, “the improper recycling practices of some firms can have serious environmental and social consequences – causing people to worry that recycling their phones could make the situation worse, not better.”
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition, based in California, says the electronics recycling industry is plagued by “sham” recyclers – “those that rely on low-road practices for making a quick buck, like exporting to developing countries and using prison labor for processing, or simply dumping e-waste after taking out the most valuable parts.”
In the United States alone, it is estimated that 130 million cell phones will be replaced this year, accounting for 65,000 tons of waste.
ReCellular works to keep cell phones out of landfills and collects more than 75,000 cell phones at more than 40,000 drop-off locations around the country each week.
“This year, we made great progress towards our goal of transforming the lifecycle of a cell phone,” said Newman. “With the help of our industry partners, ReCellular is working to create a sustainable model where every handset is recycled into the core materials needed to build its replacement.”
ReCellular partnered with the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association’s Wireless Foundation on the original Donate a Phone charitable recycling program, and has since developed relationships with key industry players such as Verizon Wireless, Motorola, Sprint and Best Buy, among others.
The sustainability report shows that ReCellular donate-a-phone programs raised $4 million for charitable causes and grassroots organizations, from local Boy Scout troops to the national Cell Phones for Soldiers program. All data is removed from each phone before it is donated.
All phones and accessories that cannot be reused are recycled. ReCellular recycled 1.2 million pounds of materials, including handsets, batteries, phone chargers and accessories, and paper and plastic shipping materials.
The company reclaimed 21,000 pounds of copper, 954 pounds of silver, and 96 pounds of gold from recycled circuit boards and electronics accessories
ReCellular participates in numerous carrier and manufacturer auctions of cell phones in a wide variety of technologies and conditions and says on its website that more than 250,000 wholesale cell phones are auctioned monthly.
The company has offices in the United States and Hong Kong and customers in more than 40 countries. Says Newman, “ReCellular has developed a global network dedicated to finding the most responsible solutions for the handset industry.”
