There are billions of people on this planet, which means there are billions of cell phones. Of course, no one uses the same cell phone their entire life. People burn through phones at an astonishingly rapid rate, meaning billions of cell phones are being thrown away all the time.
The more cell phones that simply get thrown away, the more the environment and subsequently the planet. That’s why it is so important to recycle cell phones instead.
This is a responsibility that should be embraced not only by individuals but also by businesses. Here are some cell phone recycling facts for you and your company to keep in mind.
Only a Small Percentage of Cell Phones Are Recycled
While many people embrace recycling, the number of cell phones successfully recycled is appallingly low. Patrick Sinclair, Founder and Tech Blogger at All Home Robotics said “Although virtually 100% of phones are reusable and recyclable, only a mere 15% percent is actually currently recycled in the US.” The number phones discarded each year is close to 150 million.
Cell Phones Harm the Environment with Toxic Chemicals
When people throw cell phones away, they end up in landfills, taking up valuable space for other rubbish. We don’t have enough room on Earth to cover everything in piles of discarded mobile phones. Imagine a future in which we run out of space to build housing because endless piles of garbage, including trillions of discarded cell phones, litter 90% of the planet.
JJ Lee, Digital PR Executive at Digital Funnel, points out that “If we were to actually recycle the estimated 130 million phones that are thrown away every year in the US alone, you could potentially save enough energy to adequately power around 25’000 homes for an entire calendar year.”
The real trouble starts when you consider that discarded cell phones don’t just take up space; the tons of e-waste those phones create damages the environment. Worse, the effects of e-waste on water, soil, and air pose a serious public health risk because of the toxic chemicals they contain.
Most cell phones contain harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and even arsenic! Imagine having thousands of ounces of arsenic seeping into your groundwater. That wouldn’t be good!
Even if you are not particularly passionate about the environment, you should be passionate enough to recycle cell phones because of the health problems the metric tons of this electronics waste can cause.
The chemicals contained in most cell phones can cause cancer and neurological problems. In some cases, these chemicals can also cause serious fertility problems.
We Can Use More Material by Recycling Cell Phones Than Most People Think
If you think cell phones are too small to contain any significant materials to recycle, think again. Not sure what to do with old cables left over from previous phones? Those can, and should, be recycled, too. There are plenty of valuable materials inside cell phones, their circuit boards, charging cords, and other components that can be recycled, recovered, and reused.
For example, tens of thousands of pounds of copper can be recovered by recycling 1 million cell phones. Copper is used in wiring, electrical components, plumbing, and thousands of other applications. Palladium, a metal used to make catalytic converters and jewelry, is another resource that can be recovered by recycling cell phones.
As such, both substances are incredibly valuable.
Silver and gold can also be recovered by recycling old cell phones. In fact, by recycling a million cell phones, 50 pounds of gold can be recovered.
The fact that gold, silver, copper, and palladium are harvested by recycling cell phones means businesses need to make a more serious effort. Companies stand to benefit from recycling cell phones more than you might think.
For example, if you are in the automotive manufacturing industry, you can help keep the price of palladium in check by ensuring more cell phones are recycled.
Stephen Curry, Chief Executive Officer at CocoSign, backs this point up, saying “Precious metals such as gold and silver may be collected as part of cell phone recycling. Surprisingly, the mobile device you take with you everywhere contains several valuable metals. Cell phones and other electronic equipment have trace levels of gold, silver, and even cadmium.”
What’s the Best Way for Businesses to Recycle Cell Phones?
Now that you know more about the importance of recycling cell phones, you might be wondering about the best way for businesses to recycle old mobile phones. However, recycling cell phones independently is one of the most costly and ineffective ways for businesses to recycle cell phones.
Savvy businesses partner up with accomplished organizations such as New Tech Recycling to handle it for them. By partnering with a service like New Tech Recycling, you can be sure those old, discarded cell phones will be recycled properly, promptly, and professionally.
Invest in a Cleaner, More Profitable World with New Tech Recycling
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make today is failing to recognize the global cost of electronic waste and not understanding that a cleaner world can also be a more profitable world. New Tech Recycling understands this. That’s why we are dedicated to helping businesses recycle all manner of e-waste, including cell phones, mobile devices, computers, and more.
We proudly serve the business communities of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Countless businesses throughout the North East rely on us to recycle their discarded cell phones because they know we can be trusted.
Recycling is just the right thing to do! As Founder of Global Green Family May Flanagan points out, “By donating viable electronics that you don’t need, you’re hitting two birds with one stone – you’re helping someone who needs a phone and you’re reducing electronic waste too.”
Ready to start enjoying the benefits of corporate recycling? Then you’re ready to call New Tech Recycling!