| Hidden
Dangers in the Homes of
America
By James
Mosieur
We encounter
them regularly in our homes
and offices. Sometimes we add
to the danger unknowingly.
What is this hidden danger
laying in wait and how can
we protect ourselves?
They
lurk in the homes of America.
Sometimes in groups, they huddle
in dark, forgotten spaces,
void of any recent acknowledgement
of worth or value, just waiting
for an opportunity to roam
free once again. Although they
mean no harm, they are potentially
dangerous.
There is no clear evidence
of why they are there, what
relentless subconscious force
drove them to the depths of
the drawer, the loneliness
of the shelf, the agony of
the toy box, the darkness of
the broom closet. But they
remain there nonetheless...motionless,
forgotten.
Their owners compelled to
shove them away in a possible
fit of confusion or greed or
procrastination. They could
have been your best friend
or your worst enemy. What are
they? They are an item that
at one time was considered
a sign of prosperity, now just
considered a sign of the times.
Yes, it’s your old cell
phone, and it’s time
to set it free.
The most popular electronic
device in the history of man,
the cell phone, is soon to
be the biggest contributor
to the e-waste problem. Although
it’s lumped in with other
offenders like the PC and television,
the cell phone occupies a much
higher place in the e-waste
disposal chain.
Cell phones once thought of
as useless, happen to be the
most likely candidate for widespread
re-use. Many companies re-market
and refurbish used cell phones
into communities around the
world, so they may once again
be the invaluable communication
tool they once were.
What’s
the Danger?
There are nearly 200 million
cell phone users in the US
all of whom upgrade their old
cell phone, on the average,
every 18 months. This means
that more than 11 million cell
phones are retired every month
in the US alone. As of this
writing less than 5% of these
phones are collected for reuse
and recycling.
Some claim that because of
the small size of the average
cell phone it’s easy
for a consumer to simply trash
it. Maybe one person trashing
a cell phone doesn’t
seem like much but surveys
suggest that each of the 200
million cell phone subscribers
have 2.5 old cell phones shoved
in a desk drawer or stored
in a closet somewhere in their
home or office.
Imagine if all those cell
phones, 500 million in all,
were discarded in household
trash over the course of a
year. Over 80,000 tons of additional
waste would be generated. This
is not common household waste
that becomes fertilizer. It
has the potential to pollute.
It is common knowledge that
electronic waste, or e-waste,
contains toxins that are harmful
to the environment. Electronic
circuit boards in cell phones
contain toxins such as arsenic,
cadmium, lead, and mercury;
just to name a few. Research
has shown that cell phones,
when disposed in landfill conditions,
leach hazardous levels of lead.
What’s the Solution?
Many companies, like CellForCash.com,
give value to many used cell
phones currently out of commission,
providing simple online services
convenient to consumers and
businesses alike. Many organizations
partner with cell phone recyclers
and hold cell phone fundraisers,
accepting cell phones as donations
to further their cause. If
all else fails there’s
free recycling services. Sometimes
online or through drop off
locations or recycling events
across the country.
Although piling up at a dramatic
rate, used cell phones have
a bright future. Refurbishing
and recycling cell phones,
a growing business, is a step
in the right direction. Attempts
are also underway to replace
lead with a less toxic substance
in the manufacturing process.
But until
then let’s something
needs to be done and cell phone
recycling is the best solution.
So the next time you retire your
old friend, don’t banish
him to your household hinterlands,
make an effort to recycle. It’s
great for the environment and
your wallet.
James Mosieur is CEO of RMS Communications Group, Inc. RMS operates several cell phone recycling websites like www.CellForCash.com. He has been in the electronics recycling business since 1985. James writes and speaks on cell phone recycling and related subjects particularly as they relate to the individual consumer.
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