Cells for Cells

Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer

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Recycling Used Cell Phones: Yes, Even If Your Dog Chewed On It

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Did you know that every single used cell phone, no matter the condition, can be recycled.

Yup, even this cell phone, that was chewed on by a very hungry dog,  can be recycled.

(On a side note:  I always laugh when I see a phone like this come in.  There is probably a really funny story behind it.

So, I looked for a link to a funny dog drool or dog slobber picture; but the search made my stomach queezy and now I can’t un-see those photos.)

Moving on…

Cell phones are the most value-dense electronics commodity on the planet.   Approximately half of all cell phones that Cells for Cells collects end up at Umicore in Belgium.  Umicore is the world’s largest recycler of precious metals from electronic scrap – including mobile phones.  Umicore “is one of the most efficient [recyclers] worldwide and is able to recycle 17 metals, of which seven are precious metals.”

Cells for Cells collects any cell phone, from any carrier, in any condition:

  • Old
  • Used
  • Broken
  • Water-damaged
  • Cracked Screens
  • Replacements
  • Flips
  • MiFi
  • WiFi
  • iPhones
  • Samsung
  • Motorola
  • Bag Phones
  • Any cell phone, even if your dog chewed on it

 Join us. Help us. Recycle with us.

If you have old cell phones laying around and want to contribute to this meaningful cause, consider gathering at least 24 phones to make it worthwhile due to shipping costs, which Cells for Cells covers. Join hands with your friends, and together, you can make a positive impact. Learn more about how to donate your old cell phones at Cells for Cells – I WANT TO HELP.

  • Jason Clements is the founder of and writer for Cells for Cells.  Jason has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Cancer Charities through his recycling program and has helped dozens of families in their battle against cancer.
  • He lives in Kansas and is an amateur artist.
  • You can follow Jason on X (Twitter) @jasonclements Instagram @theartandtimesofjason or YouTube @jasonclements

Eight More Tips to Make Cell Phone Recycling Even Easier

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Remember that Re-Use is a component of Recycling

If you are upgrading your cell phone and your friend or family member wants your old iPhone 3 or your Samsung Galaxy v.1 (or even that old Moto Razr!)  that totally counts as recycling.  Pat yourself on the back and tell everyone to call you “Green.”   The point here is that you don’t have to send your device away to a program.  You can just give it to someone you know.  Cells for Cells is the back-up plan if nobody wants to use your old device.

Have a contest among friends or co-workers

Cells for Cells always encourages companies to have an employee collection drive once or twice per year.  Make it fun.  Challenge other managers or office friends to bring in the most old cell phones from home.  The winner should have his / her lunch bought by everyone else!  Ferrellgas Propane had an East Coast VP versus West Coast VP and the “losing” VP (the one that collected the least devices) had to wear a pink flamingo hat and have his picture taken for all of the world to see.  If your company is going to run a Cells for Cells drive, have a ton of fun doing it.

Ask your next-door neighbor

Your neighbor probably has as many old cell phones as you do.  The cell phone industry is still suggesting that EVERYBODY in the US has 3 or 4 old devices laying around.  It gives you a chance to get to know your neighbors a little better and, in turn, your neighbors will recognize you as a resource for recycling.  And you’ll introduce the Cells for Cells story to someone new.  Thank you for that!

Go straight to your junk drawer at home

Oh, the junk drawer!  9 out of 10 American homes have a junk drawer.  (I made that statistic up to help this blog post.)  I bet you’ll find at least 2 old cell phones, 7 old chargers, 3 old batteries, Tic Tacs, dominoes, and an Andes mint from the last time you went to The Olive Garden.

What is in your filing / storage cabinet at work

We have a partner here in Kansas City that opened up their double-door storage cabinet with neat rows of boxes:  2003, 2004, 2005, etc…  In each box was that year’s old and broken cell phones.  The wireless manager wanted to recycle all of it; but hadn’t yet found a place were he wanted to recycle.  He liked the Cells for Cells story and we made his day by clearing up a ton of space for him.

Do you ave any peers that are “Wireless Managers”

I love Wireless Managers (WM’s).  They are, by far, the best allies for Cells for Cells.  These are the folks that truly keep a company’s workforce in synch.  Most of the WM’s that I know are super awesome at troubleshooting and creative problem solving.  I admire their abilities.  If you happen to know a WM, especially if they bailed you out of a Blackberry or Smartphone problem in the past, you should take them out to lunch!  You may even do your WM a favor by telling them about Cells for Cells.

Talk to the President of your company

Every company wants to do better at being green; but lack the time to start implementing those green ideas.  You can be a hero in your company by initiating a conversation about recycling with the President of your company.  Commit to spearheading any new green programs from providing paper recycling on every floor to running the Cells for Cells drives.  You know who you are.  You are the one that wants to make those small changes that, over time, make big differences.  And that is what you are about:  Making a difference!

Keep promises to yourself about recycling more

Okay, it is still early enough in 2012 that all of your New Year’s Promises are fresh in your mind.  If you are like most, odds are that you made some promises to yourself about doing more for the environment.  Some of your promises may have been doing better at recycling electronics or being mindful of where my trash ends up.  I hope that Cells for Cells aligns with some of your promises to make the world a little greener this year.

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Additional Reading

8 Tips for Making Mobile Phone Recycling Easier

Recycling Used Cell Phones:  Yes, Even if Your Dog Chewed on It

 

 

Recycling Failure: 1.211 Billion Plastic Baggies Every Year

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According to Gartner, world-wide cell phone handset sales were 1.211 Billion in 2009.  And, the number of cell phone subscriptions are now 4.6 Billion.

Can we assume, that included inside of each of those 1.211 Billion new cell phone boxes, is a recycling baggie just like the ones pictured above?

Warning – Math Problem Ahead – 1,000,000,000 is a Big Number

Now, consider that the percentage of cell phones being recycled today, fall somewhere between 1% and 10%.

If we generously assume that all 10% of cell phones recycled are done so through the baggie program, then we are left with well over 1 Billion plastic baggies that will probably end up discarded in our landfills or our waterways and oceans.

This well-intentioned baggie recycling program is a complete environmental failure.  Creating more waste, in the name of environmental good, is a shame.

Cells for Cells is Part of The Solution

When we first launched Cells for Cells in 2007, we provided a simple cardboard collection box to all of the companies that wanted to recycle with us.    We distributed hundreds of boxes throughout Kansas City and received back very few.  Even though cardboard is easily recycled, we realized that we were creating a lot of cardboard waste.  So, we changed our process, and now Cells for Cells encourages everyone to re-use a cardboard box when you ship your devices to be recycled.  The cardboard, in turn, will be re-used or recycled.

Cells for Cells partner, Freightquote.com took a standard office paper ream box and created this work of art:

Yes, You Can Recycle Plastic Bags or Baggies

Although most curbside recycling programs do not allow for any sort of plastic bag recycling, there are solutions.  I have seen plastic bag recycling containers in some of our local grocery stores.  I think that Wal-mart might have plastic bag receptacles, too.

Here is plasticbagrecycling.org.  They have a state-by-state locator to help you find out where you can recycle your plastic bags.

Yes, You Can Recycle More Than Just One Cell Phone

I have an opinion that the baggie program teaches the public to only recycle one or two devices at a time.

Why not try to fill a box with old cell phones from family, friends, neighbors and co-workers?  No matter what program or charity your cell phone recycling program supports, you still have the option to do more than just recycle.  Become an advocate.  Make it your mission to have your entire office recycle 2 or 4 or 10 devices per person.  Re-use a cardboard box and make a difference in the environment and in the program you support.

Funny Recycling Bag

Additional Reading

8 Tips for Making Mobile Phone Recycling Easier

Plastic Bags are Killing Us – Salon 2007

Capt. Charles Moore on the Sea of Plastic

Deffenbaugh Industries Partners with Cells for Cells

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Midwest’s largest trash and recycling company partners with eco-friendly initiative to help families battling cancer

Shawnee, KS (August 24, 2010)—Today’s strategic partnerships are more important than ever. By capitalizing on innovative talent and creative networking, Deffenbaugh Industries continues to build a name for itself as an eco-friendly brand. Now, with a new partnership with cell phone recycler, Cells for Cells, Deffenbaugh Industries will apply its momentum as one of the largest recyclers in the Midwest to invigorate local and national green initiatives.

As the largest trash collection and disposal company in the Kansas City region, Deffenbaugh Industries has already built a strong connection with the community.  Since introducing curbside recycling to the Kansas City metro area in 1989 and through programs like the “One Earth, One Chance School Recycling Program” Deffenbaugh Industries encourages sustainability by showcasing  leading-edge methods of recycling. These programs reward creative thinking, and encourage participants to look at sustainability as a lifestyle choice.

And now, their partnership with Cells for Cells, the largest recycling program which collects used cell phones to raise money for families battling cancer, allows Deffenbaugh Industries to do more than just recycle:  Deffenbaugh Industries is helping families battling cancer.

Deffenbaugh Industries is leading the Midwest in green initiatives and encouraging the community to take simple actions.  Recycling efforts cannot be successful when only a few individuals try to make sweeping changes:  It’s when a large group of people and communities make tiny changes – like recycling a cell phone – that the results are staggering.

Cells for Cells primary beneficiary is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society whom they support nationally – working with 14 chapters.   “We just want to help more families,” says Jason Clements, Cells for Cells co-founder.  “Our partnership with Deffenbaugh Industries will allow us to raise awareness about recycling and the environment both locally and nationally.”

About Deffenbaugh Industries, Inc.

Deffenbaugh Industries, Inc., founded in 1957 is one of the largest waste and recycling services companies in the Midwest.  Deffenbaugh Industries provides efficient collection, transportation, and disposal of commercial and residential waste and recycling, construction waste, portable toilet, and truck and industrial supplies services.  Over its 50 years in operations, Deffenbaugh Industries has establish a reputation for superior customer service and satisfaction.  Deffenbaugh Industries is headquartered in Kansas City and operates in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa.  For additional information please visit http://www.deffenbaughinc.com/

About Cells for Cells

Cells for Cells recycles cell phones to raise money for families battling cancer.  Cells for Cells partners include Kansas City’s largest and most influential companies, and Fortune 500 companies nationwide.  Cells for Cells is also part of Pepsi’s Eco Challenge.  To learn more about getting your company involved with Cells for Cells please visit www.cellsforcells.com

Additional Reading

Cells for Cells:  Part of Pepsi’s Eco Challenge

Recycle Today: Timely Recycling Means More Value For Your Charity

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Used cell phones are a commodity that constantly drop in value.  If your company supports any charity through cell phone recycling, the quicker you get them recycled, the more money you will raise for your charity.

Cell Phone Recycling Values are Always Dropping

Since we began Cells for Cells in 2007, it has happened 4 times:  In less than 30 days, a series of cell phones have lost more than 90 percent of their value. We are aware that this happens, but it is always shocking when it does.

This massive drop in value usually happens when a major carriers ends its support of a certain model or models of cell phones.

If you are one of the millions of Americans that have cell phone insurance – through your provider – chances are that you will be issued a refurbished cell phone if you are unlucky enough to run over or drop in a snow drift or have your dog eat your cell phone.

Most refurbished cell phones come from recycling programs just like Cells for Cells.  Cell phones are collected, the memory is flashed (cleared of data and new software installed), the phone is repaired or repainted, sold back to the carrier and then given to you through your insurance claim.

It really is an outstanding re-use model – just like the path that used-cars/pre-owned cars take.

And, today’s cell phone marketplace is flooding with iPhone copy-cats that have touch-screens, movie players and coffee makers (there’s an app for that).  So as more and more cell phones or communication devices come to the market, it becomes a never-ending cascade of diminishing values for the cell phones in the recycling world.  And if the recycling world is giving less to the recyclers; then the recyclers end up giving less to the charity.  That’s a bit of a bummer.

So what can you do today to make a difference?

Get your cell phones to your recycler today.  No matter what program you support – whether it is Cells for Cells or another worthy cause – timely recycling will create the maximum benefit your charity.

Additional Reading

8 tips for making mobile phone recycling easier

Recycling Used Cell Phones:  Yes, Even If Your Dog Chewed On It