Cell phone recycling for cash a win-win, or is it?

[Guaner]

By Dawn Stover
Special to msnbc.com
updated 4:01 a.m. MT, Wed., Jan. 23, 2008


When the Hunting Park Christian Academy asked students and parents to turn in old cellular phones and used inkjet cartridges, the Philadelphia school became one of more than 20,000 organizations that have raised money through recycling programs sponsored by the Dallas-based company EcoPhones. The school earned about $500 last year through the program and continues to benefit from collection boxes at local churches.

“I’m sold on the program,” said Gabriel Wang-Herrera, a former kindergarten teacher who is now the school’s director of development. He said EcoPhones sent him everything he needed to advertise the program and paid for shipping the collected devices. It seems like a win-win: The recycling programs not only help keep old phones, inkjet cartridges and other electronic devices out of U.S. landfills but also raise funds for schools, churches and community groups.

But charity watchdogs caution that there are potential downsides: Most of the money ends up in the hands of middlemen who resell the devices. And these for-profit companies — including EcoPhones, Phoneraiser, FundingFactory, CollectiveGood, Think Recycle, ReCellular, Cellular Funds and Project KOPEG (Keep Our Planet Earth Green) — are rapidly proliferating, perhaps at the expense of similar nonprofits.
What’s more, U.S. “recycling” programs may end up exporting hazardous waste problems to developing nations ill equipped to deal with them, they say.

Average cell phone lifespan: 18 months
The average American gets a new cell phone every 18 months. The phone that’s replaced is typically in perfect working order but is often simply tossed in a drawer or the garbage can. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 98 million U.S. cell phones were discarded in 2005, along with hundreds of millions of other electronic products such as computers, TVs and VCRs. Fewer than 20 percent of cell phones were recycled. Many ended up in landfills, where they can release nasty acids and toxic metals.

Full story here.

[Rzrlvr74]

In my area, we have a program where you can donate your old cell phones to Turning Point, a program that helps Battered Women make a new start. They reprogram the phones so that they can make emergency calls only in the event the abuser catches up with them. They should probably offer a program where donated phones are reprogrammed similarly for senior citizens on a fixed income, but I have not seen anything like that yet. It would be more beneficial than having the companies turn these phones over for a ridiculous profit and only sharing a small amount with the charities the donations were meant to help.

[greenblood]

GSM phones are pretty easy to be re-used, as long as SIM unlocked
I passed my used phone to other family members, no electronic waste at all, except it's broken and un-repairable

[jaymonds]

These sort of programs are really commendable. I came across few websites which offers to Recycle mobile phones and pay cash. Those in working condition are recycled and sent to developing countries like Asia and Africa where they are reused. This is also a good way of conserving the environment, utilising natural resources optimally and insuring those that need it have the chance of experiencing mobile phone technology.

[DIPPYNA2]

Even if you want to keep your old cellphone, Leave it in the car or something. You can still use it to call 911. YES no kidding. It happened yesterday, we had our old cellphone (t-mobile) with my old SIM card in it, my daugther was playing with it, we were playing like some kind of emergency happend so she dialed 911 and even there's no signal on the phone, it connected to a dispatcher!!!
Sorry if this is an old news, but I was in a major surprise that we can still contact 911 with a-no-signal cellphone.

[oakie]

Originally Posted by Rzrlvr74

In my area, we have a program where you can donate your old cell phones to Turning Point, a program that helps Battered Women make a new start. They reprogram the phones so that they can make emergency calls only in the event the abuser catches up with them. They should probably offer a program where donated phones are reprogrammed similarly for senior citizens on a fixed income, but I have not seen anything like that yet. It would be more beneficial than having the companies turn these phones over for a ridiculous profit and only sharing a small amount with the charities the donations were meant to help.

not trying to belittle the Turning Point cause, but i want to clarify a couple of things.

1. there's no need for the phone to be reprogrammed. as long as it's a digital phone (analog system was shut off this year), it will call emergency no matter what, as long as the device is charged. all phones are required by federal law to be able to call 9-1-1 in the USA for emergencies, activated or not.

2. the phone you donate will likely NOT be used by them or given to victims who seek their shelter. if they are of any value at all, they're resold, with the proceeds going to help fund the shelter's programs. there was an issue about this on The Consumerist as more than a few people gave up "not so cheap" cellphones thinking they were going directly to shelter victims but found out they were being sold. Turning Point's website says specifically that cell phones donated will be sold to fund the program, not given to victims. IMO, people who choose to donate to any cause should know what, why and how they are donating and is the only reason why i'm clarifying this.

Turning Point collects used cell phones and ink jet cartridges to raise funds for our life-saving programs.

Turning Point of Lehigh Valley

[oakie]

or you can simply resell your phone on the open market, by way of craigslist (free) or ebay (not so free).

just because they label their "pawn shop" as a recycler doesnt mean you cant do it yourself or reselling isnt just as effective, because it is. you're just doing the same thing they're advertising except you're not letting someone else profit off you.