Cell Phone Jammer Sick of cell phones? Then jam them! Sick of cell phones? Then jam them!
Be Smart—Recycle that Old Cell Phone! Left Life?...old cell phone. Most stores that sell cell...
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ECOATM; RHONDA SAUNDERS; FAIRPHONES.ORG; DOLLAR PHTO CLUB 2 1 3 4 5 6 M A N U F A C T U R I N G P A C K A G I N G M A T E R I A L E X T R A C T I O N T R A N S PO R T A T I O N U S E F U L L I F E D I S P O S A L R E C Y C L I N G E N D O F L I F E What should you do with your cell phone when it dies? Is it safe to just throw it in the trash? If you recycle your cell phone, what happens to it? Toxic heavy metals The lifespan of a typical smartphone is 21 months. Even though smartphones are made to be quite sturdy, their constant use and the occasional drop takes its toll, so this short time period should not come as a surprise. And with newer and fancier models being churned out every year, U.S. residents throw away more than 140 million cell phones every year. If you cannot sell your old cell phone, what should you do with it? One option is to toss it in the trash. Doesn’t it get shipped to a landfill where it is buried in some remote location far from human habi- tation? The United States generates more than 2 mil- lion tons of electronic waste each year. Even though electronics make up only 2% of the waste in landfills, they rep- resent 70% of the heavy metals found in landfills. It is these heavy metals that can cause long- term pollution risks and seriously affect human health. Dozens of different kinds of metals are found in a typical smartphone, many of which are toxic. Lead, nickel, arsenic, and cadmium are just a few of the toxic metals found in most smartphones. In China, for example, soil levels of toxic metals at electronics disposal sites have been measured to be between 10 times and 100 times greater than normal levels of toxic metals in soil. Exposure to these chemicals can result in a variety of adverse health effects, including birth defects, neurological disorders, and kidney damage. Recycling cell phones You can also recycle your old cell phone. Most stores that sell cell phones offer free recy- cling of old phones, and many companies give you cash for dropping off unwanted cell phones for recycling, even if they do not work. These cell phones are sent to a recycling center. If the cell phone is in relatively good shape, it may be refurbished and donated to organiza- tions that serve those in need, such as military charities, senior citizen centers, and domestic violence shelters. Other cell phones are disassembled, and their components are reused by the cell phone industry. Because many of the metals in cell phones are becoming increasingly difficult to find in nature, recycling these metals makes sense from both an environmental and an economic standpoint. Despite the obvious benefits of recycling, most old cell phones still end up in the trash. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, of the 141 million cell phones discarded in 2009, only 12 million were recy- cled. A great service project would be to set up a cell phone-recycling program in your high school. It only takes one person to make a difference! Be Smart—Recycle that Old Cell Phone! 4 ChemMatters | APRIL/MAY 2015 OPEN FOR DISCUSSION By Brian Rohrig
Transcript of Be Smart—Recycle that Old Cell Phone! Left Life?...old cell phone. Most stores that sell cell...
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What should you do with your cell phone when it dies? Is it safe to just throw it in the trash? If you recycle your cell phone, what happens to it?
Toxic heavy metalsThe lifespan of a typical smartphone is 21 months. Even though smartphones are made to be quite sturdy, their constant use and the occasional drop takes its toll, so this short time period should not come as a surprise. And with newer and fancier models being churned out every year, U.S. residents throw away more than 140 million cell phones every year.
If you cannot sell your old cell phone, what should you do with it? One option is to toss it in the trash. Doesn’t it get shipped to a landfill where it is buried in some remote location far from human habi-tation?
The United States generates more than 2 mil-lion tons of electronic waste each year. Even though electronics make up only 2% of the waste in landfills, they rep-resent 70% of the heavy metals found in landfills. It is these heavy metals that can cause long-term pollution risks and seriously affect human health. Dozens of different kinds of metals are found in a typical smartphone, many of which are toxic.
Lead, nickel, arsenic, and cadmium are just a few of the toxic metals found in most smartphones. In China, for example, soil levels of toxic metals at electronics disposal sites have been measured to be between 10 times and 100 times greater than normal levels of toxic metals in soil. Exposure to these chemicals can result in a variety of adverse health effects, including birth defects, neurological disorders, and kidney damage.
Recycling cell phonesYou can also recycle your old cell phone. Most stores that sell cell phones offer free recy-
cling of old phones, and many companies give you cash for
dropping off unwanted cell phones for
recycling, even if they do not work. These cell
phones are sent to a recycling center. If the cell phone is in relatively good shape, it may be refurbished and donated to organiza-tions that serve those in need, such as
military charities, senior citizen centers, and domestic violence shelters. Other cell phones are disassembled, and
their components are reused by the cell phone industry. Because many of
the metals in cell phones are becoming increasingly difficult to
find in nature, recycling these metals makes sense from both an environmental
and an economic standpoint.Despite the obvious benefits of recycling, most old cell
phones still end up in the trash. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, of the 141
million cell phones discarded in 2009, only 12 million were recy-cled. A great service project would be to
set up a cell phone-recycling program in your high school. It only takes one person to make a
difference!
Eco ATMs are recycling kiosks in the state of Washington that offer instant cash for cell phones and other small devices.
Be Smart—Recycle that Old Cell Phone!
4 ChemMatters | APRIL/MAY 2015
OPEN FOR DISCUSSION
Left Life?
By Brian Rohrig
