What happens to those phones?

Why aren't they designed for reuse and recycling?

(CNN, May 5) -- In a recent CNN experiment, more than 50 old and discarded
cellphones were gathered throughout the newsroom in a matter of just two
days. It's symptomatic of a much larger problem.
According to a new study by environmental research group Inform, people
living in the United States will soon be getting rid of about 130 million
mobile phones every year. "That's about 65,000 tons of cell phones and
ultimately they are thrown away," says Joanna Underwood, spokesperson for
Inform.
Manufacturers offer a steady stream of newer, multi-function models,
prompting the average customer to purchase a new wireless phone every 18 to
24 months. "It's just like wearing old clothes," says Sheryl Sellway of
Verizon Wireless. "You want the latest and the greatest, right? So it's the
same with a phone."
Cellphones have also shrunk to a convenient size, making the purchase of
a new one even more tempting to the average buyer. "Ten years ago cellphones
weighed two pounds. Now they weigh three ounces," said Kimberly Kuo of the
Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA).
The hang up
The problem is that cellphones contain toxic chemicals such as arsenic,
lead, and zinc. They also harbor several substances that have been linked to
various health problems. "Cellphones, as small as they are and as innocent
as they look, contain a very wide variety of toxic chemicals," says Inform's
Underwood.
Although the toxins found in cellphones are not considered a danger to
people using them, they are not necessarily something that should be
populating landfills. So what can be done to help the cause?
If you have an old cellphone that you are not using anymore, but you
don't want to get rid of it, one option is to donate it. Verizon's "Hope
Line" program accepts any make and model of old cellphone. The phones are
refurbished and donated to battered women's shelters. "The program has gone
national since last November and in that time we have collected over 150,000
phones," said Verizon's Sellway.
Members from the CTIA say they have been pushing a similar kind of
recycling program through its Wireless Foundation during the last few years
with other phone manufacturers, and say they can offer consumers details on
what to do with their old phones.
Inform estimates that by 2005 there will be 500 million old cellphones
gathering dust. Without a plan to deal with them, that's a lot of phones to
put on hold.