Wireless Recycling: Charity Cell Phone Donations Are a Great Way to Help the Environment and Worthwhile Charities

Why is wireless recycling so important? To begin, consider these alarming figures:

• Since the year 2002, an average of over 200 million cell phones per year have gone out of service, despite having remaining economic value.
  
  
• By the end of this year, there will be approximately 550 million unused mobile and wireless phones stockpiled in the United States awaiting proper disposal. That number is expected to grow by upward of 175 million in each of the following years.
  
  
• Of all the phones that go out of service, less than 8% are recycled or refurbished.
  
  
• In the Southeastern Michigan area alone, there is currently about 1 billion pounds of electronic waste, of which cell phones, PDA's and digital cameras comprise a substantial share. Very little of this waste is ever recycled.

After examining such facts and figures, it is obvious that our nation is facing a serious dilemma when it comes to electronic waste. In addition, electronic waste poses a significant threat to humans and wildlife due to the possibility of unleashed toxic elements such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic into ecosystems around our homes and businesses.

By hosting a fundraising recycling event, or by simply donating your used cell phone to Recycling for Charities, you are helping to control the global threat of accumulating electronic waste. By refurbishing or recycling the donations we collect, everyone helps keep electronic waste out of landfills and toxic elements out of the environment. 

Wireless recycling is extremely important. Together, we can help preserve the environment as well as benefit charity organizations in our communities and around the country.