Startling Facts About Cell Phone E-Waste
Electronic waste accounts for 70 percent of the overall toxic waste currently found in landfills, according to Global Futures Foundation. In addition to valuable metals like aluminum, electronics often contain hazardous materials such as mercury.
With the rapid proliferation of cell phones, they are making up a growing percentage of landfill waste. It is estimated that there are more than 500-600 million used cell phones ready for disposal worldwide.
Cell phone coatings are often made of lead, meaning over 300,000 pounds of lead released. Cell phone batteries re even more hazardous.
Some contain a mixture of nickel and cadmium (Ni-Cd batteries). Cadmium is listed as a human carcinogen that causes lung and liver damage. Others contain potentially lithium or lead.
This link has some amazing stats about cell-phone waste from the EPA that are easy to read and understand.
Cell phones need to be recycled, which has become much easier to do. The EPA has a link to help you find a e-Waste drop-off center near you.
This link will explain how to clean your data before recycling.
Let’s do our part to be part of the solution and prevent this e-waste from polluting our soil and water.
If you are an individual, organize a neighborhood cell phone drop-off drive. Encourage your child’s school or your church to have a drop-off place.
Your business should have a policy concerning the cell phones that they issue, while also having a drop box for employees’ personal phones.
Four phones per second will end up in landfills, according to the EPA, if we don’t act–quickly and decisively.
Here’s to a greener tomorrow, today.
