With Xmas and Hanukkah, birthdays and anniversaries and whatever else happening this season that involves presents, many of us will be receiving or treating ourselves to new cell phones and other electronics.
In this tight economic time and dire environmental state, please take the “out with the old in with the new” saying a bit differently than you may have in the past. Consider recycling in a variety of ways:
- Sell your old electronics on eBay or Craigslist
- Bring old cell phones, pagers or PDAs to any Staples store and drop them in one of the plastic recycling bins—a portion of all proceeds will also support the Sierra Club
- Donate old computers and other items to local charities (don’t forget your tax receipt!)
Whatever you do—please do not toss those items in the garbage. One good reason why not: Toxic chemicals in batteries (from regular AA to those for your cell phone) including lithium and mercury can contaminate ground water sources and can even harm people working in waste removal. Check your municipal sanitation departments, but many local places have free recycling or hazardous waste removal options.
Happy holidays and happy recycling!
Great post!
I like this video that shows the importance of recycling cell phones: http://www.secret-life.org/cellphones/
Many charities collect cell phones to help raise money as well. A partial list can be found at http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/page.aspx?SetupMetaId=11042&id=11214
Goodwill now also collects computers for free recycling.