During the fourth quarter of 2007, U.S. consumers buying new mobile handsets recycled their old phones at double the rate that they did in the third quarter. Still, that's just 9.4 percent of devices, says iSuppli Corp.
But recycling behavior might be higher than that, if all sources of reuse are considered, and if respondents are being truthful. Considering phones given to friends or family members, donated to a charity or returned to a phone retailer, about 39 percent of phones are recycled or reused.
The easiest way to recycle a phone is simply to take it to your provider's retail store. In most cases they'll supply you with a postage-paid mailing envelope, which you then drop in a postal box. Some Best Buy outlets have permanent recycling bins for PC batteries, ink cartridges and mobile devices (phones or personal digital assistants).
About 36.8 percent of respondents polled by iSuppli simply stick the old phones in a closet or drawer. That presumably means the devices later are tossed into the trash, which is where they shouldn't be.
About 15.5 percent of U.S. consumers gave away their old mobile handsets to a family member or friend. Another 8.5 percent of consumers donated their handsets to charities.
About 5.7 percent said they returned their old phones to the retailers where they originally bought them. Some 3.1 percent sold their old phones.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates Americans discard 125 million phones each year, creating 65,000 tons of waste.
1 comment:
Its good to see the trend. recycling mobile phones is the best way to protect the environment and at the same time, earn some money.
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