Why Recycle Used Cell Phones?
Currently there are more than 150 million cellular phone users in the United States. It is estimated that 100 million cell phones are retired annually in this country. Of those phones no longer being used, 75% of them are lying in drawers in people’s homes or offices! This is just the amount of cell phones ‘thrown away’ in the United States for one year! While there are many different types of cell phones, most contain a variety of Persistent, Bioaccumulative Toxins or PBTs such as arsenic, beryllium, copper, lead and zinc. PBTs are persistent in that they linger in the environment for a long time without degrading, increasing the risk of exposure to human beings if these phones end up in our landfills. PBTs can spread over large areas, moving easily between air, water and soil. They accumulate in the fatty tissues of human beings and other animals, increasing as they move up the food chain. As a result, they can reach toxic levels over time, even when released in very small quantities
