Cell Phone Recycling
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Radio Shack Launches Gadget Recycling Program
I recently discussed two easy ways to recycle your printer cartridges, but what about all of your other gadgets? By the sounds of it, Radio Shack has a pretty sweet new green trade-in program where they will take your old gadgets — whether it's a camera, MP3 player, gaming console, cell phone, or something else — determine the value of your products, then give you a Radio Shack gift card. It'll be interesting to hear how much people are given for their gadget goods.
Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes Push Cell Phone Recycling
Via their upcoming film The Spirit, stars Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes have teamed up with the Environmental Media Association to promote the importance of cell phone recycling to reduce CO2 emissions.
The spots start running today on the Answer the Call website, with the ladies in character as Sand Saref and Silken Floss, respectively. I was already a big proponent of cell phone recycling, but glamming it up with two of the hottest celebrities ever?
All Good Cell Phones Go to Heaven
Upgrading your cell phone is something of a mild obsession around here, and with upgrading comes the inevitable question of what to do with an old cell phone.
Half a billion (!) cell phones were replaced in 2007 alone, with many of them going to recycling centers, but what happens once they get there? Technology Review has a beautiful photo essay depicting ReCellular, the country's largest cell phone recycling center.
Ask a Geek Girl: What Do I Do With My Old iPod?
For this installment of Ask a Geek Girl, TeamSugar user amers230 asks what she should do with her old iPod, now that she's received the new iPod of her dreams:
As a special surprise for my birthday my parents bought me the new iPod I've wanted for forever. Now that I have my 80GB Classic, I have no use for my 3-year-old 20GB. Thing is, I'm not sure what to do with it now.
Small Electronics and Battery Recycling Made Easy
I love the fact that gadget recycling is getting a whole lot easier. Last week I talked about the nifty Cell Phones for Soldiers bags that are now being included with Amazon orders. With these pre-paid bags, you can ship off your old phone to Recellular, a company that pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone.
The Life Cycle of Cell Phones
Considering I have at least six old cell phones, this video by The Secret Life Series really got me thinking about the impact of cell phones on our environment and what can be done to minimize the dangerous amounts of e-waste. Featured on treehugger, "The Secret Life of Cell Phones" discusses the shocking statistics associated with cell phones, the dumping of nonworking electronics to China and Nigeria and the continual efforts in raising awareness about cell phone recycling programs. Lets hope with the EPA's new cell phone recycling program the estimated 150 million phones, which are said to be discarded this year will be recycled or reborn through cell phone donation.
Reducing the Ecological Impact From Cell Phones
I can't seem to not feel guilty when I throw out a banana peel, let alone a cell phone — which is probably why I have six old cell phones hiding in my closet! Thankfully the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just announced a cell-phone recycling program partnership with popular service providers, retailers, and device makers like LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.
According to Inhabitant, the EPA is hoping that the 130 million cell phones that will be thrown away this year will be recycled or reborn through cell-phone donation.
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What Do You Do With Your Old Gadgets?
The wild world of tech moves fast — too fast for some of us — and we're either faced with feverishly upgrading, or being the butt of the slow-moving gadget joke among friends (sample: "Zach Morris called, and he wants his cell phone back.")
But we must eventually upgrade most of our tech, whether it's for speed and capability, a government mandate, or a new hot phone you can't live without. I've recycled cell phones, given my old desktop to a younger sibling, sold TVs on Craigslist, and dropped VCRs off at thrift stores. Any way you can recycle a gadget, I've done it — but I have not thrown a gadget in the dumpster in years and years.
Website of the Day: My Boneyard
I think everyone wants to recycle their gadgets, sometimes they just can't figure out the hows. That's why the website My Boneyard makes it painfully easy to do it online. Not only do they provide you with a prepaid envelope you print yourself to send in with your old or dead gadget, but in many cases, they send you a cash reward in exchange for it.
Do You Recycle Your Old Cell Phones?
Everyone says they're going green these days, but I often wonder how many people are really making an effort to help out mother nature. A recent study performed by iSupply Corp., found that less than ten percent of people who upgraded their phones recycled their old handsets. Additionally, ten percent of people sporting a new cell just tossed their old ones in the dumpster, which equals about 125 million discarded phones a year!