Cells for Cells

Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer

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Pure Joy: Jeff Wooten and What His Doctor Said

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I just received an update from Dawn and Jeff Wooten (remember that they were the recipient of the first Medical Bill Makeover award)…

…wanted to let you know that we had Jeff’s 2-year post-transplant doctor appointment last week. It couldn’t have gone any better:  His (Jeff’s) numbers look great, he doesn’t have to have his monthly treatment anymore, and we don’t have to go back for 6 months!

This is a huge milestone and we are both very happy.

Jeff and Dawn – we are so happy for you, too!

Quick question..

…how do you say that…when you are so happy for someone and the day just feels brighter and everything just feels wonderful…

…oh, I remember…

…it is Pure Joy.

More Update March 24, 2010:

That’s great! If you want a new picture of us with our big cheesy Pure Joy grins I have attached one. This was taken just a couple of weeks ago.

I have a saying by Eleonora Duse posted at my desk that I just love. It is entitled Joy:

If the sight of the blue skies fill you with joy… If the simple things of nature have a message you understand… Rejoice, for your soul is alive!

Our souls are definitely alive.

Thanks for being an outlet for us to share our story and, more importantly, our positive message and outlook.

Cheers,

Dawn

Thank you to bloggers that have written about Cells for Cells

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I need to give a very long-overdue thank you to Chris Hefling, founder and CEO of www.myhopespace.com.  MyHopeSpace offers cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, friends, family members, and their cancer support network an easy way to communicate and share their stories, their struggles, and their accomplishments with other members.

Hit his website and you’ll see the work of a true giver. Chris and all of his partners, resources, and connections have truly put together a place where families battling cancer can find strength, hope, and a way to celebrate life…just as their website states.

If you are looking for cancer support or cancer help, MyHopeSpace is a great place to start.

You absolutely must check out the cancer inspired tattoo section – you will find some pretty amazing stories of strength and survival.

Here’s my favorite and a link to the story behind the “Hope Tattoo.”

MyHopeSpace also has a blog that you can follow here:  Blog.MyHopeSpace.com

And if you Twitter, you can follow Chris and all the latest news about MyHopeSpace @myhopespace

Chris, keep up the wonderful work!

Cells for Cells is honored to be listed in MyHopeSpace resource section among organizations that do such powerful work.

Additional Reading

How Richard Todd Beat Leukemia in 44 Days

Dawn and Jeff Wooten’s Story

Jennifer Hancock’s Story


Seth Heine: ecoATM Additional Information

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Seth Heine, of EcoATM was kind enough to email me a response with some additional information about the EcoATM:

Joe and his Yoohoo on the bus: davelinger via flikr
“EcoATM response:

That is a very cool write up! I have posted an official response below to some of the musings / questions as well (I was once thrown out of the skating rink for trying to boost a Yoo-hoo from the vending machine 😉

“Thanks to Jason and Cells for Cells for the kind mention – we like what C4C gets done every day as well 😉

For the record, I co-founded ecoATM with some braniacs, – this idea is far larger than any one person could ever build anyways…  ecoATM is based on the core concept that the best way to get people to act, or change their behavior is to pay them; so far we seem to be correct, we are collecting hundreds of phones weekly with each ecoATM, and have big plans to roll these kiosks out to leading retailers nationwide in the next few years.

ecoATM kiosk

Of course, the minute you put money on the table, you attract the attention of not only everyday consumers, but sneaky types as well; that’s why we visually and electronically inspect the items, so we not only know exactly what it looks like, but also connect it to our systems so we can electronically test the items as well (this also allows us to remove data from the devices on the spot;-).  So the fake Wi-Fi plug in the photo (or a fake / demo phone) won’t get far into testing before we figure out something is not as it should be…  We also take photographs and get contact info (drivers license etc) from the customers, so we’d likely be sending “visitors” to people who keep trying to trick our machines as well…

We’ll be adding video game, laptop / computer / monitor and other electronics sequentially as we grow, so the ecoATM will become a hub of recycling and trade in / trade up activity in the same places people buy their electronics, bringing it all full circle.”

Additional Reading

Who Else is Making Recycling Easier or Just Flat-out Cool?

The ecoATM kiosk: How It Works

Will Kiosks Help Boost Mobile Phone Recycling?

Who else is making recycling easier or just flat-out cool?

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www.ecoatm.com

The EcoATM is one of the coolest new recycling ideas I have ever seen.  Besides winning myriad of honors and acknowledgments for their design and idea, the EcoATM’s WOW! factor is spectacular.

It is THE machine that recycles everything: Mobile Phones, MP3 & PMPs, Game Systems, Game DVDs & Cartridges, Notebook & Desktop PC’s, Printers, Digital Cameras, Flat Displays, Storage Devices, GPS and more.

Super-recycler, Seth Heine, who founded Collective Good, is the brains behind the EcoATM.

But does it make recycling easier?

The first thing that came to my mind when Seth emailed me the info was this photo:

Will you be able to place an EcoATM in a high school or college?  Will kids try to hack it or trick it or just cheat it? (Yes, one time, when I was a kid, I tried to get the vending machine to give me an extra Twix.)

And, it still begs the question:  How will the EcoATM influence us, as consumers, to be better at recycling?  Seth once told me, “Gravity is the most powerful force keeping people from recycling.”  Gravity, in this context, is the lack of action.  Or, as I like to say, “My old cell phone is in my desk drawer and it is too heavy to get out and take to the recycler.”

Also, I’ve never been a fan of passive-style recycling programs.  There are cardboard or plastic collection boxes at the entrance of a many retail stores–usually empty.  It is all just green noise.

Will a super-cool (and, possibly, super-expensive) automatic recycling machine change the consumer’s recycling habits?

Well, if “COOL” makes people want to recycle, then perhaps the EcoATM will help defy “gravity”.

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www.envirobank.com.au

Environbank, out of Sydney, Australia,  states that their vision is “To empower the community to leave the world a better place – one beverage at a time.”  Similar to the EcoATM, the Environbank recycles beverage containers.

Again, the idea looks super cool; but my main thought is that looks like the world’s most expensive recycling tub.

The Environbank just looks like it costs at least $5000 US.

This little blue recycler to the left is a touch more than $100 US.

It would be interesting to find out what Environbank’s business model is.  Because if I am the office manager or recycling manager and I have to put a beverage recycler in the break room or lunch room; I may have a hard time getting approval for one of these.

Additionally, how long can a company like Environbank stay in business when the net profits on recycling plastic bottles and aluminum cans are miniscule?  The logo licensing fees can only take them so far i.e. Coca Cola, BP, and Bowerman’s (in Australia).

Don’t get me wrong, Envrionbank is cool and innovative.  With a ton of public education and a solid business model, this could be the standard beverage container recycler throughout the world.

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Bebe and Alice

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bebeandalice or http://bebeandalice.blogspot.com/

I am always impressed with someone who can marry art with recycling.  That is exactly what Heather Baker has done with Bebe + Alice out of Estes Park, Colorado.

At Bebe + Alice you’ll find eco-friendly goodness that winks at the past and nods to the future.  You can expect items to be one of a kind, made with care and designed around the philosophy that Grandmother’s slow and simple ways were best.

Here’s an example of what amazingness Heather can do.  Pay special attention to the description:

a Gnome’s Home crafters apron

Description

Upcycled denim created the perfect landscape for this gnome’s home. Momo’s Wonderland fabric makes the perfect mushroom tree pocket and apron strings. Upcycled sheeting for the cloud, vintage rikrak and buttons for grass and flowers makes this a delightful addition for your crafting inspiration! Rikrak has been left unsewn in one small space so you can slip your scissors in for easy access.

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Even More Companies That Help Make Recycling Easier

The Ecopreneurist had a great article last year that is worth looking at again:

Six Companies that Help Make Recycling Easier

Mentioned are:

  1. Earth911.org

  2. Lamprecycling.com

  3. Terracycle.net

  4. Recyclereminders.com

  5. Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation

  6. The State of Connecticut

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Hey, know anyone else that makes recycling easier or flat-out cool?  Leave a comment and link them up.

8 tips for making mobile phone recycling easier

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1000 mobiles by Gaetan Lee via Flickr

1.  Always, always, always pull out your SIM chip and SD or mini SD card.

Today, pretty much every phone has some sort of REMOVE-able storage – so remove it before you donate or recycle your device.  That pretty much will cover all of the security concerns you may have.

2.  Do a little planning on the front end when getting your new cell phone…

as most Americas update or change cell phones every 18 months.  Point all of your storage (photos, music, phonebook) to your sim or sd chip.  All of the “how to’s” will be in your new owner’s manual.

3.  If you are one of those that are super concerned with security of your data, just master reset or master clear your device.

It has become so easy to reset or master clear your phone.  If you’ve kept your instruction manual, the steps will outlined.  If you don’t have your manual, there are hundreds or thousands of DIY videos all over the interwebs – most just a few minutes long.  Here are ours:  How to Clear My Blackberry and How to Clear My Treo.

4.  Find a cause that is bigger than just recycling.

Cells for Cells recycles cells phones to help families that are battling cancer.  Another great example of a recycling programs that does more than just recycle is Cell Phones for Soldiers.  With a solid purpose behind your efforts, more people will follow you and you end up doing more.  And if you are passionate about a cause that is not Cells for Cells, don’t let that stop you from recycling.

5.  Influence others to join you.

It is commonly accepted that cell phone recycling rates remain in the single digits.  So recycle more than one phone at a time.  Buddy Up with co-workers and friends that are inclined to recycle and get your place of employment behind you. It is way more exciting to work with your co-workers and friends for your cause (See #4).  Fill a giant box with cell phones to recycle.  Make a bigger difference for your cause.  (Oh, by the way, you know that little plastic baggie that comes with new cell phones – IGNORE IT.  It encourages people who want to recycle – to just recycle one phone – and that is not you, right?)

6.  The phone, battery and charger do not have to match.

Most recyclers separate the components, anyway.  So don’t worry if you have cells to recycle without the batteries or chargers – it all recycles just the same.

7.  Use free shipping if your program offers it – but don’t let it hold you back…

from recycling if your program does not offer to pay for your shipping.  Keep in mind that Cells for Cells wants you to recycle at least 25 cell phones before we send you a pre-paid FedEx label.  (Anyone still use the word “gumption“?  As in, “It is easy for me to collect more than 25 cell phones for recycling, because I have gumption.”)

8.  Be a giver.

Just get your old cell phone out of your office drawer or closet and give it to a program that helps others.  Give a little of your time to help promote collecting cell phones in your office.  You be the person to print off the poster “Battle Cancer with a Cell Phone” and hang it in your breakroom.  You be the person that calls FedEx to pick up the box of (more than) 25 cells you and your office buddies collected.  You be the person that helped a family that is battling cancer.