Mobile phone recycling

Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus, which contributes to the increasing amount of electronic waste around the globe.

Most cell phones contain precious metals[1] and plastics that can be recycled to save energy and resources that would otherwise be required to mine or manufacture.

[5] This means that newer cell phone models are constantly put up on the market to replace older ones.

[8] Mobile phones typically contain the following components: printed circuit board (PCB), liquid crystal display (LCD), camera, flexible substrate and motor, and speaker and microphone.

[7] Methods for collecting used mobile phones include the following incentives: pre-paid shipping labels and envelopes, take-back programs, and drop-off points.

[9] Take-back programs give consumers monetary incentives in the forms of account credits, discounts, and lump-sum cash payments to promote the recycling of mobile phones.

[9] Drop-off points are usually found in highly visible and high-traffic areas that pose convince to potential recyclers.

Oftentimes, the e-waste is improperly dismantled and burned, producing toxic emissions harmful to waste site workers, children, and nearby communities.

Manufacturers and agencies are slowly adapting new programs in an effort to curtail the amount of waste that has been rising over the years.

In 2005 MobileMuster launched a campaign that gathered statistical data showing 46% of the Australian population was aware of the option to recycle their mobile devices and its accessories.

This amounts to roughly 367 tons of material, which is the equivalent to a 16% increase in the number of devices over the span of a year.

The reasoning behind this is that reusing leads to a decreased amount of resources being extracted from the environment, therefore minimizing the impact.

[12] Because the U.S. has not ratified the Basel Convention or its Ban Amendment, and has no domestic laws forbidding the export of toxic waste, the Basel Action Network estimates that about 69% of the electronic waste directed to recycling in the U.S. does not get recycled there at all, but is put on container ships and sent to countries such as China.

[17] However the amount of ownership has exceeded most historic industry expectations - approximately 150 million mobile phones are discarded each year in the USA.

[18] As more people became aware of the monetary value of their old cell phones and other small electronics such as tablets, comparison websites showing users the latest buying prices grew in popularity.

Refurbishing and reselling cell phones continues to be the most economically viable option for recycling this form of e-waste.