Why should I recycle my phone instead throwing it away into a landfill?

Question

Ok so I've started hearing and seeing technology companies suggesting you recycle your phone & accessories so they dont go into landfills, but why should I?

Answer 1

In some places you can recycle the phone with people who will use them to get funding for the phones-for-the-troops thing.

Answer 2

1.  The elements in the microchips and other fancy parts are mined out of the ground--at the expense of both people and the natural environment.  When we recycle more, we can mine less.  If you want to know more, you can google "The Dirt in the New Machine"  (be sure to use the quotation marks).  You'll find an article by Blaine Harden about an ore called coltan. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.ht...

2.  The metals and other elements are non-renewable.  If we mine them out of the ground and then throw them away in landfills, eventually we will run out.  

3.  As mentioned before, some components are toxic and we do not want them hanging around where they could get in the water we drink.  That kind of mess can be dangerous to our health and expensive to clean up.

Answer 3

Some states are beginning to ban this because hazardous waste is leaked from electronic items that are not properly disposed of.  Waste that can contaminate ground water.

  

Tons of trash fill our landfills locally.  Many of the items such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and cardboard boxes are just some examples of items that can be recycled.  Waste management experts say the more problematic items are electronic products.

That's because they don't want  hazardous materials like lead and mercury to leak into the landfill and possibly contaminate ground water. They are broke down and the materials claimed out of them and made into new products.

Answer 4

Don't you mean how?

Answer 5

Waste from mobile phones has become a major environmental issue, in particular some of the many substances used to manufacture mobiles contain the deadliest toxins known to man, these include Arsenic, Mercury, Cadmium, Palladium, Lead and Beryllium. It therefore is essential that mobile phones are recycled to ensure disposal of any harmful toxins in a controlled manner.

Phones that are able to be refurbished are often refurbished, to an as new standard, extending the product life, the phones are then exported to developing countries providing affordable first time communication equipment and improving local communities and economies.

Some cell phone recyclers will pay for your old phone, and rates can vary from $10 to $200 depending on brand, age and model.

http://howtosaveenergy.blogspot.com/2007...

Has details of two charity based cell phone recycling programs in the UK and US.

Answer 6

Render unto Cesar what is Cesar's. In other words the toxic stuff inside that cell phone that you sent p**n pics on never belonged to you in the first place, just do the right thing.