In the absence of a federal recycling program, cell phone recycling is a patchwork of service provider, retailer, and state and local government initiatives. Currently, California has the only state law for cell phone recycling.
California's cell phone recycling act. By July 1, 2006, retailers selling cell phones in the state must have a system in place to collect used phones for reuse, recycling, or proper disposal. The law also requires the state to track the recycling rate of cell phones and publicize the information each year in July, beginning July 1, 2007.
Some smaller municipalities have begun to require cell phone recycling too. To learn whether your municipality has any laws, contact your local waste management agency.
Service provider recycling programs. Most service providers have recycling programs and will take back their equipment for recycling and reuse in what's known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), or take-back, programs. Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, supports the concept of EPR.
CU has also published a white paper, "Electronic Waste: Finding Sustainable Solutions that Work Better for Consumers" that explores the growing problem of electronic waste. You can read a summary (PDF) or the complete paper (PDF).
Taking out toxics. Cell phone makers are developing new designs that reduce the use of toxins, including brominated flame retardants. California recently passed a ban, which goes into effect in 2008, on the use of some brominated flame retardants after the chemicals were found in fish from the San Francisco Bay.
What industry is not doing...
Cell phone carriers prevent consumers from keeping their phones. Typically, when you switch to a new service provider, you have to get a new phone, even if the new service uses a compatible network. The exception is if you have a GSM phone that can be unlocked. Consumers Union is calling on the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) to prohibit this anti-competitive practice. To learn more, and see how you can support these efforts, visit our HearUsNow.org.
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