Cells for Cells

Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer

jclements

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

Sorting My Trash: How to Overcome Recycling Apathy

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I do not want to admit it; but I will.  I have not been very good at recycling at home.  In fact, I have been downright terrible.  I hardly ever use my recycling container.

How can I run one of the largest cell phone recycling programs of its kind and still possess a high degree of Recycling Apathy at my house?  This must change!

My catchy phrase that I have used as an excuse for years is:  “I care; but I just don’t care enough” to recycle.  What is most interesting, as I look inside myself, is that I really never even tried to recycle at home.  I always felt like it was a hassle to sort out my trash.  I even got on my high horse and thought to myself, “I help to recycle thousands and thousands of cell phones – I am doing my part!”  But, you know what?  I have discovered that recycling at home is just as easy as taking out the trash.  Yes, that is my personal recycling at the end of my driveway from this week.

How to make recycling at home a permanent habit

1.  Find one thing to recycle today and put it in your recycling container.  Make it easy – like a newspaper or a plastic water bottle or milk jug or an aluminum can(s).  For me, just getting started was easy enough to help me make this a new habit in my life.

2.  Make it a fun, family project to look in your fridge and see what numbers are on your plastic bottles.  In our community recycling program – Deffenbaugh’s Curbside Recycling, we can recycle plastics numbered 1 through 7.    [What do those plastic recycling codes mean?]

3.  Locate your most convenient recycling resources.  Everyone lives near a school or church that has either a paper, glass, or multi-recycling container.  Our glass recycler is a huge Ripple Glass purple container that is only 6/10 of a mile from my house.  It takes me 1 minute to get there.  Here is the Ripple Glass locator map to see where you can recycle your glass.

4.  You might already be paying for it; so put it to use. I am charged a mandatory recycling fee of $5.10 on my trash invoice  for three months of unlimited curbside recycling.  I feel like I have a personal recycling butler come to my house once a week, take away all the stuff that can be recycled, and I only have to pay him 42 cents per week.

5.  Educate yourself on everything that can be recycled in your community.  Here is the list, in pdf format, of everything  that Deffenbaugh Recycling accepts in their curbside recycling program.

6.  Do it again next week…and the next…and the next…

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


WARNING: Every Image on your Copy Machine is Stored and Vulnerable to Theft

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Every image on your copy machine is stored and vulnerable to theft. Every single copy you have made – both business and personal – financial reports, medical reports, intellectual property, brainstorm sessions, might be on the hard drive inside your copy machine.


This CBS investigative report is 5 minutes long.  It is worth viewing it all and then talking to your IT/Data Security department to make sure that your company is aware of this vulnerability.


Wait till you see the section about the copy machine the investigators picked up that came from a police department. WOW!


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/digital-photocopiers-loaded-with-secrets/


Clear your Cell Phone data, too


Obviously, clearing data from your old cell phones is critical, too.  It is one of the most frequent questions I get asked regarding recycling.   We’ve even made two step-by-step videos to help clear data from your cell phones before you donate them to Cells for Cells. (How to Clear My Blackberry and How to Clear My Treo).


Additional Reading


8 tips for making mobile phone recycling easier