Recycle Cell Phones to Help Families Battling Cancer
I picked up two very cool DIY boxes from UMB today.
Remember that Cells for Cells does not provide collection boxes for cell phone drives. We encourage everyone to reuse any old box…just like UMB has done.
Additional Resources:
Link to the Battle Cancer Poster
Link to the Freighquote.com DIY Cell Phone Box Video
Remember that Re-Use is a component of RecyclingIf 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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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8 Tips for Making Mobile Phone Recycling Easier
Recycling Used Cell Phones: Yes, Even if Your Dog Chewed on It
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?
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.
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:
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.
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.
8 Tips for Making Mobile Phone Recycling Easier
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
Brand new Cells for Cells partner, Freightquote, did an outstanding job of re-using an old cardboard box to collect mobile phones for Cells for Cells.
Great job on some very brilliant creativity!
Want to use the Battle Cancer with a Cell Phone poster for your mobile phone recycling efforts? You can download it here.
For more information about Cells for Cells and how we help families battling cancer visit www.cellsforcells.com
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Trouble viewing the video on Viddler? Here’s the YouTube Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyRCMYeABtc
I am in that group of people where my life has been changed by words of kindness and simple acts of love and caring.
Even though Cells for Cells mission is to help families battling cancer, I feel the responsibility to help anyone that is facing a difficult situation.
Kind words can change a life. Kind words can bring joy and happiness. Kind words can turn away fear. Kind words can increase bravery and strength.
That is why I asked Gary Vaynerchuk, “During difficult times, Gary, what do you say to someone to help them stay strong?”
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Having trouble watching on viddler? Try our YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zXM00-rM3A