| Everywhere you look these days, you see people | | | | capable of being used for several more years. |
| and companies talking about "going green." It's | | | | Again, most of these phones are thrown away, |
| great that we're all trying to find ways to use lest | | | | where they create the environmental concerns |
| energy and conserve our resources and planet. | | | | mentioned above. You can do your part by |
| The best way to have a big impact is by replacing | | | | reducing your "cell phone turnover" - the |
| everyday items with more eco-friendly | | | | frequency that you purchase new phones. Instead |
| alternatives. Surprisingly, that one technological | | | | of replacing your phone every 6 months, shoot |
| gadget that we all can't leave home without | | | | for every 12 or 18 months. Chances are you |
| anyomore, the cell phone, is an area where you | | | | won't be able to tell much difference, and you'll |
| can be environmentally friendly. A study published | | | | save some money while helping our environment. |
| in 2005 estimated that Americans replaced over | | | | Reuse: There is a huge market out there for |
| 100 million cell phones in the previous year. All of | | | | used cell phones that most people don't consider |
| those phones that got replaced had to go | | | | when they need to replace an old phone. Even |
| somewhere, right? Although some were kept by | | | | the "latest and greatest" phones can be found in |
| consumers to use in case their new phone broke | | | | used or refurbished condition. The additional |
| or was lost and some were recycled, the vast | | | | benefit of purchasing used cell phones is that they |
| majority were simply thrown away in the trash. | | | | are cheaper. Buying used and refurbished phones |
| Like most garbage, they now sit in landfills. This is | | | | keeps one more phone from our landfills and |
| not good for our environment as cell phones | | | | incinerators, which helps to lessen the |
| contain a number of harmful chemicals (e.g. in the | | | | environmental impact that these handy devices |
| battery) that can seep in to our soil and ground | | | | have. |
| water over time. Alternatively, some cell phones | | | | Recycle: Finally, when you do replace your current |
| that were thrown away may have been | | | | phone (hopefully with a used cell phone), take the |
| incinerated, meaning those toxic chemicals were | | | | necessary steps to ensure that your old phone |
| released into the atmosphere. Also not good. | | | | doesn't end up in a landfill or incinerator. There are |
| So how can we be more "green" with our cell | | | | numerous places in every city where you can |
| phones? The answer is the same as it is with all | | | | drop off old phones for recycling and some online |
| other textile products: Reduce, Reuse, & | | | | services will even mail you a prepaid envelope to |
| Recycle. | | | | send your phone to a recycling center. |
| Reduce: It's tempting to continually upgrade your | | | | The adage of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is true |
| cell phone as manufacturers continue to release | | | | for cell phones as well. We can all help make a |
| new phones with more features. This leads to | | | | difference by following these simple steps when |
| many of us replacing our old phones before they | | | | shopping for and replacing cell phones. Next time |
| are antiquated and useless. Further, keeping up | | | | you need a new phone, take a look in the |
| with the ever-evolving trends gets expensive as | | | | refurbished and used cell phone market - you'll be |
| a newer "latest and greatest" phone is released | | | | surprised what you find in both selection and |
| seemingly every month. People that do keep up | | | | savings. Last but not least, don't forget to recycle |
| generate a lot of waste in the form of phones | | | | your old phone! |
| that are slighly used, yet perfectly functional and | | | | |