Let’s take a minute and talk electronic waste, specifically cell phones.

 

In our race to obtain the latest and greatest, we are leaving a mountainous trail of toxins in our wake. The average American upgrades their cell phone every 18 months. Denver has a population of roughly 570,000 people. Current estimates put cell phone usage at 82% of the population, which means that over the last 3 years Denver alone has rendered 934,800 cell phones useless. That is a lot of trash.

 

“But I want the new iPhone!” you think to yourself. And stamp your foot. And get ready to throw down with an electronic tantrum the likes of which I haven’t seen since I tried to put my toddler to bed last night.

 

Don’t worry. Upgrade. But do it with a clear conscience and help our community at the same time.

 

How? 

Well, you can purchase a used copy of "62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer (and Other Discarded Electronics)" and make something nifty, or you can try out one of the options below and make a difference. Your call.

 

Donate you phone to the 911 Cell Phone Bank. 

Your old working phones are refurbished and given to battered women, the disabled and the elderly so that they are able to call 911 in emergency situations. Cell phones must be disconnected from your service, cleared of personal information (check out http://www.recellular.com/recycling/data_eraser/), have a battery that holds a charge, and be accompanied by a charger.

 

Many carriers have great programs available at their stores, or you click below to find a local drop or print a label to mail in your discarded phone:

 

 

Ah! But what if my old hunk doesn’t run??

 

Recycle your old phone.

Don’t fret, you can still get that new phone and obtain a little piece of Karma as well. Once again, you can check with your carrier at their store (it’s that place we used to go before we got all our stuff online) and see if they have a recycling program. Or, check out Green Phone. They’ll either give you cash for your old phone if they can reuse it, or they’ll recycle it for free and plant a tree to commemorate your loss.

 

 

Step up, Cacti. 

Cell phones, according to Federal regulations, are hazardous wastes and should never be tossed. They are comprised of persistent toxins that linger in our environment. So, let's keep that arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead out of our landfills and water tables. Let's make sure that these poisons aren't absorbed into our plant life, the animals that eat them, and then ultimately back into our own bodies. Let’s do our part.