Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Wireless technology becomes outdated pretty quickly. Consumers ditch cell phones at a rapid clip, discarding their old devices for new ones that pack in more features and functions. Problem is, the phones they're getting rid of still work just fine. Maybe it's a sign of our need for instant gratification that is leading folks to leave their working devices behind for the latest and greatest models. Devices that worked perfectly just months ago are being tossed aside for shiny new handhelds.
For the first time, ReCellular, an electronics-sustainability firm that offers solutions for collecting, reusing and recycling personal electronics, has compiled a list of the top 10 recycled mobile phones of 2008. The list features devices that span from 2004 to 2006. According to ReCellular, the company is on track to collect 6 million devices for reuse and recycling by the end of the year.
"Three years ago, the most popular trends were ultra-compact handsets and the first entry-level camera phones," said Chuck Newman, CEO of ReCellular, in a statement. "Today, those phones are being retired in large quantities as consumers are moving toward newer technologies, especially smartphones and multimedia-enabled handsets."
ReCellular also estimates that some of today's best-selling devices -- like the Apple iPhone and the BlackBerry Curve -- will start appearing on the recycled list in 2009 or 2010.
"The average American replaces their cell phone every 18 months, which is a great challenge and opportunity," said Newman. "The challenge is there are over 130 million phones retired every year, potentially creating 65,000 tons of dangerous electronics waste.
"The opportunity is diverting that waste through increased reuse and recycling efforts," he continued. "Most discarded phones are still functional, and are ideally suited for reconditioning and reuse to meet the global demand for affordable, functional handsets."
Here is ReCellular's list of the top 10 recycled mobile phones of 2008.
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