One More New Year's Resolution
The holidays are over and maybe you received the new blackberry you’ve been longing for months. As we begin to carry out our news year’s resolutions, why not add another to the list?
What to do with your old cell phone? According to recyclemycellphone.org, more than 500 million cell phones are sitting in people’s drawers or in landfills. Cell phones, along with many other electronic devices, often contain harmful chemicals that when exposed to the environment can be dangerous.
Cadmium and lead are two harmful chemicals that can be found in cellular devices. Cadmium when leached into soil is dangerous to human and animal health, and lead can bioaccumulate in organisms and be poisonous to us. In fact, the EPA says that lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.
Another problem with cell phones is that they contain plastic. The EPA states that most cell phones are 40 percent plastic, 40 percent metal, and 20 percent ceramics and trace materials. In most cases, crude oil is combined with natural gas and chemicals to make the plastic. However, phones such as the iPhone are made of polycarbonate plastic and contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical highly suspected to cause cancer and have serious health effects. 
Despite the fact that approximately only one percent of cell phones are recycled (according to cellphonerecycling.com), every single cell phone can be recycled, despite its age, color, model, or make! With over 1.2 billion cell phones in use worldwide, the proper disposing of cell phones has become important.
When recycled, phone parts are sometimes used in computers, printers, and other electronic items, or are refurbished and then resold. The goal of the cell phone recycling is "the zero-landfill goal," meaning no part of the device ends up in a landfill. Additionally, charities often take old cell phones and give them to needy or soldiers. Collective Good is an organization that accepts cell phone donations and gives these cell phones to people in need. Greenphone.com is another organization where you send in your cell phone and they send you back a check! ReCellular, started by two brothers, is the largest recycler of electronic handset scrap organization and is known worldwide for its large donations to charities. So with all of the plastic, waste, and goodies you are sorting through after the holidays, don’t forget to recycle or donate to the right place! Who knows, you may even receive some cash!!!
Article By Kristen McCrae
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