What happens when someone decides to ditch his or her old cell phone for a flashy new one with a digital camera, MP3 player and Internet access?
If the old phone simply gets thrown in the trash, toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead could be released into the environment.
Now, three collection sites exist on the University campus so used cell phones can either be refurbished and resold or disposed of safely.
According to environmental research firm INFORM, Inc., the average lifespan of a cell phone is 18 months. The firm predicted in a 2004 report that by 2005 more than 100 million cell phones would be retired each year.
“Everybody that I know and you know probably has one cell phone in a drawer somewhere,” said Travis Campbell, account executive for the recycling division of Legacy Wireless Services, Inc.
Campbell said Legacy, which is based in Clackamas, started out making cell phone towers but now also operates cell phone recycling programs throughout Oregon and Washington.
Cell phones contain arsenic, lead and brominated compounds. Campbell said the lead and brominated compounds are mostly in the screens of cell phones, so these chemicals get released when old phones are crushed in landfills.
Consumer electronics may be responsible for 40 percent of the lead in landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site, and it is possible for lead to leach from landfills and contaminate drinking water supplies. Ingesting lead can affect the nervous system, blood system and brain development. Brominated flame retardants, when leached from landfills into the environment, may increase cancer risk to the digestive and lymph systems.
When Legacy collects phones, it first checks whether they are still usable. Those that are broken beyond repair are recycled safely. Those that still have some life are refurbished at Legacy. Newer ones are marketed through Legacy’s partner Web sites, and phones with older technology are sold overseas.
Ten percent of the proceeds from resold phones goes to various charities.
“Obviously we feel that it’s good to give back to society as a company, and the majority of people probably feel that way,” Campbell said.
The campus drop-off boxes and most of Legacy’s other boxes direct funds to the American Red Cross, but businesses and organizations sponsoring drop-off sites can choose to benefit other charities such as Earth Share and several others.
Cell phone recycling programs are common at large businesses, where a cell phone provider will collect old phones after distributing new ones, Campbell said. One of his aims at Legacy is to make these programs available to the general public.
Campbell, who is also a University senior majoring in German and international studies, said he got the idea to bring the program to the University from his previous experience working in Campus Recycling.
Campbell said universities are generally receptive to the program because of their role in educating people. Lewis & Clark College, George Fox University and Oregon Health & Science University already have similar programs through Legacy, and he said Legacy is working to start one at Oregon State University.
The campus drop-off locations are at the ASUO office on the ground floor of the EMU, the University Department of Telecommunications Services at 1244 Walnut St. and The Digital Duck at the University Bookstore.
Campbell said Legacy’s off-campus drop-off locations in Eugene are at Kennedy Middle School, 2200 Bailey Hill Rd.; Kelly Middle School, 850 Howard Ave.; North Eugene High School, 200 Silver Lane; Curves for Women, 4730 Village Plaza #145; and REI, 306 Lawrence St.
Businesses and organizations interested in setting up cell phone drop-off sites can contact Legacy at (503) 656-5300 or [email protected].
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