Recycle Your Cell Phone
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Updated: 7:24 PM Apr 8, 2009
Recycle Your Cell Phone
Dust off all your old cell phones, and donate them to a great cause.
Posted: 7:21 PM Apr 8, 2009
Reporter: Brad Myers
Email Address: Brad.Myers@wsaz.com
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- There's a new way to go green with recycling, but it's not with the typical cans, glass and paper. Rather, it's recycling something that's probably collecting dust: your old cell phones.

More and more unused cell phones are piling up. Best Buy Mobile Manager Sam Vanderpool believes he knows why.

"It's a technology that every few years people are buying new phones," Vanderpool said.

That means millions of old phones that are not being used are simply sitting around.

"There are approximately 100 million old phones that are floating around that have not been recycled," Vanderpool said. "Only 10% of those phones are being recycled."

So, this week the Environmental Protection Agency is spreading the word that you can recycle your old handsets and put them to good use.

Electronic stores like Best Buy along with cellular providers like Verizon Wireless, AT&T and many others now have programs set up to collect those old phones.

"You can go through you closets and if you want to make a difference and go green," Verizon Wireless Assistant Manager Amanda Jones said.

Verizon Wireless has set up "Hopeline." The program takes donated cell phones, batteries and accessories and fix them up. Then, they will donate the phones to victims of domestic violence.

"They'll either sell the parts and donate the money to local shelters," Jones said. "Or the cell phones could be refurbished and given to the shelters."

Here are some tips to remember before donating your phone:

-Terminate the service for the donated phone
-Clear the phone's memory
-Do a factory reset
-Remove the SIM card


Latest Comments

Posted by: Helen on May 26, 2009 at 12:14 PM

If your mobile doesnt work could you still recycle it
Posted by: a trick on Apr 9, 2009 at 05:49 PM

I know I worked for one of the places. Your phone if it workds gets resold as used ones. There are some sights that I hope do what they say they are going to do, but at&t not so. Look at their refurbished lists of phone they have for sale. Now you know how they got them.
Posted by: Let It Go on Apr 9, 2009 at 01:13 PM

FOr "hmm" and all others who feel this way---you evidently have way more money than you know what to do with. I for one could never in this lifetime afford to have a cell phone that costs more than $50.00---I guess you are the lucky ones...My $50.00 works great...your expensive phone in the junk drawer must be just that...why else would it be there unless that is you have an even more expensive one now...Learn to let it go and do some good in the world and stop being greedy...your not going to take it with you when you go....and I do hope it's a good place..
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