The Boyd D. Esler Senior/Community Center is now collecting old cell phones
In the United States alone, an estimated 500 million cell phones have been retired, meaning they are unused in someone’s home or in the trash. Most of those phones end up in a kitchen drawer collecting dust, causing literally billions of dollars to go to waste.
Cell phones contain harmful materials like lead and cadmium that are released as phones break down in landfills. These materials can cause cancer and a range of reproductive and developmental disorders even when the materials are released in small quantities, such as leaching into our soil and drinking water from phones buried in landfills.
In a partnership with the National Council On Aging (NCOA) the Springfield Township Boyd D. Esler Senior/Community Center is now collecting old cell phones. Some phones are worth up to $30, depending on the make and model. Once the center has collected more than 50 phones, they will be turned in and a check will be sent to the Center depending on the value of the phones.
Collected phones are either recycled for their precious metals according to EPA standards or are refurbished for use in developing countries with less advanced cellular technology than the U.S. During the refurbishing process, the memory of each cell phone is “flashed” to wipe out any previous information stored on the phone and allow for reprogramming.
Drop off boxes are placed at the Center as well as Town Hall.
Funds generated from the recycle program go to support programming at the Center. |
