CELL PHONE RECYCLING: DONATE YOUR OLD MOBILE PHONE 

Discarded cell phones account for nearly 65,000 tons of toxic waste each year. Cell phone recycling is critical because each improperly disposed cell phone can pollute up to 33,000 gallons of water.

More than 500 million unwanted cell phones are either awaiting disposal in the home, or seeping hazardous lead, mercury, cadmium, brominated flame retardants, and arsenic into the environment. And with new features available every year, a cell phone's average life is now less than 18 months, adding more than 140 million cell phones (and their batteries) to our landfills each year — or 2.5 million toxic mobile phones dumped each week. Because the United States has yet to establish federal regulations requiring mobile phone recycling, only about 10 percent of cell phones are currently being donated or recycled.

The good news is that mobile phone manufacturers have recognized the need for cell phone recycling, stepping up their efforts to stop this enormous threat to the environment. National mobile phone carriers have instigated mobile phone recycling take-back plans, accepting unwanted cell phones at any of their retail locations nationwide. (See individual carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless for more information.) 

Even without a wireless service plan, donated cell phones are reusable because any working mobile phone can dial a 911 call center (an FCC requirement). As a result, recycled cell phones can be used as emergency lifelines for:

• Low Income Families main phone
• Homeless families
• Families looking for work contact
• Domestic Violence victims new contact
• senior centers
• senior citizens living alone, who are especially vulnerable to accidents
• senior citizens with disabilities and limited incomes, who are especially vulnerable to elder abuse (physical abuse, assault, exploitation, or neglect.)

Recycled cell phones are also an important emergency link for women's shelters. Donated cell phones could save a life by enabling victims of domestic violence with instant access to emergency services.

Before donating your mobile phone, erase any stored information, including your contact list, text messages, and listings of incoming/outgoing numbers. Most cell phones use a "master reset" to delete information quickly and easily. We will verify and master reset on arrival to our facility.

Send Phone(s) in a simple padded mailer.

We will provide you a Tax Deductible receipt for your donation

Schools Out Lunch
Recycle Phone Drive
P.O. Box 465
Mineral Springs, NC 28108