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Twenty years ago, cell phones cost thousands of dollars, were so big they had to be carried in a bag, and were only accessible in a limited number of locations around the world. Today, you can get them for
free, wear them as a watch, and are in use by billions of people. This unprecedented rate of technology adoption has created an important challenge for governments and consumers – how to appropriately deal with those phones when people get ready to replace them.
Since their founding in 1991, ReCellular has been innovating solutions for the appropriate collection and processing of that ever-growing mountain of used phones Done right, recycling electronics benefits the environment, supports social causes, and delivers value to companies and individuals. Done poorly, recycling electronics can have potentially devastating environmental and social impacts.
Media and activist groups are bringing more attention to the potential impacts of improper recycling – and people are beginning to worry that their best intentions for recycling electronics could make the situation worse, not better.
ReCellular has worked hard to be transparent about who we are, what we do, and how it benefits consumers and the environment. We are proud of our successes. In 2009, we kept more than 1.6 million pounds of toxic waste out of landfills, and prevented enough green house gases to equal 1,676 cars being taken off our roads.
But equally important is what these programs do for individuals and charities. Thousands of consumers are taking advantage of our website www.securetradein.com, where they can trade-in their used phones for cash. Instead of collecting dust in their junk drawer, they are earning as much as $300 just by dropping the phone in a postage paid envelope.
Charities like Cell Phones for Soldiers are also benefiting from used phones, earning millions of dollars a year by partnering with ReCellular. Thanks to strong partnerships with AT&T, GM, Liberty Tax and others, thousands are donating their phones daily to help our brave men and women call home from the front for free.
Once those phones are collected, ReCellular processes them for resale, so that the cycle can continue. The majority of phones received are fully functional and have value in the marketplace, often to individuals who lose or break their phone and can’t afford to replace it with a new device. They can come to sites like www.recellulartoo.com and find a low-cost, high quality phone that often is a great choice for their needs, and budget.
As successful as these programs may be, we have only just started to tackle the huge number of phones retired every day. Estimates are that 130 million phones will be retired in the United States this year, but that fewer than 1/3 will be recycled. Each one of those phones represents an opportunity to protect the environment, put a few dollars in your pocket, or help a worthy charity. ReCellular is working hard to make sure that every consumer is both aware – and participating – in a cell phone recycling program.
For more information please visit www.recellular.com
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This guest post is part of our Technology Tuesday Series. We seek out the latest and greatest technology companies out there whom we feel offer cutting edge products and services to consumers. Our readers are interested in the financial and real estate industries as consumers and professionals. If you feel that you or your company has something wonderful to offer and would like to write about it, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com