A new way to recycle your cell
After three years of stubbornly refusing to upgrade my cell phone, it tumbled off the kitchen counter and broke into two separate pieces. But once my new phone was hooked up, I was left wondering how I could easily recycle my old, smashed-up cell. In the past, ReadyMade has printed several resources for doing so, but this week the Environmental Protection Agency partnered with cellular companies and retailers to make recycling your kaput mobiles just that much simpler.
The Plug-In To eCycling program allows consumers to recycle their cell phones through take-back-and-mail-in partnerships with Best Buy, Cingular, Office Depot, and Staples. By making it as easy as dropping it in your mailbox or stopping by a local big box, the EPA hopes more American will be encouraged to do their part to conserve natural resources and reduce waste. Currently, less than 20 percent of cell phones are recycled—mostly because consumers don’t know where to take them.
To that end, the EPA has recorded a series of podcasts detailing the program and the impact that recycling electronics can have on protecting the environment. So gather up the Zack-Morris-size flip phones taking up space in your junk drawer and hurry on down to a recycling bin near you.
