Cell Phone Recycling Fact Sheet

Background

·          In the US, cell phone use has surged from 340,000 subscribers in 1985 to over 175 million today.

·          The average American cell phone user owns 3 or more cell phones.

·          The average life span of a cell phone is only 18 months.

·          By 2005, it is estimated that: 110 million cell phones will become obsolete and discarded annually in the US

·          Over 500 million cell phones will be stockpiled in US homes

·          It is estimated that up to 75 percent of obsolete cell phones are stockpiled in drawers by people who don’t know what else to do with them.

Toxicity

·          The circuit boards in cell phones contain myriad toxins such as arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc.

·          Brominated flame retardants are found in the plastic housing, printed wiring board, and cables.

·          The lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries contain heavy metals such as cobalt, zinc, and copper.

·          Many of these chemicals are Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins (PBTs) and have the potential to be released into the air and groundwater when burned in incinerators or disposed of in landfills, thus creating unnecessary threats to human health and the environment.

·          Preliminary testing by the Department of Toxic Substances Control has shown that cell phones are likely to be determined hazardous at end-of-life and will require management under Universal Waste regulations.

·          Universal Wastes must be recycled or managed as hazardous waste. Disposal at an unauthorized site or landfill is a serious crime as well as a serious environmental threat.

·          Additional research by Dr. Timothy Townsend of the University of Florida for the US EPA has also found cell phones to leach hazardous levels of lead when disposed in landfill conditions.

Current Recycling                                                                                  

·          Over 70% of Americans do not know that they can recycle their old cell phone.

·          Less than 5% of obsolete cell phones are refurbished or recycled.

·          In a recent survey, only 2.3% of Americans recycled their old cell phones.

·          Cell phone manufacturers and service providers have voluntarily implemented recycling programs and recognize that retail ‘take-back’ of old phones represents the lowest cost and most convenient recycling model.

·          Unfortunately, these programs are not well advertised and inconsistent – only a fraction of retail cell phone outlets are currently providing their customers with recycling options.

·          Of those who turned in their old cell phone to their service provider, only 18% were offered recycling as an option.

·          Surveys suggest that 90% of Americans would recycle their cell phone if there was a convenient drop-off location at a store near them.

Recycling Market

·          Cell phones, unlike TVs, have a positive scrap value meaning the value of cell phone reuse is currently sufficient to finance the collection and recycling infrastructure.