| Every year, 100 million cell phones are replaced or | | | | community updates. Many of these groups are based |
| discarded in the United States. Less than 20% of this | | | | in schools, churches, and social clubs. Are there kids |
| total are recycled or sent back to the manufacturers | | | | from the nearby school going around collecting old |
| - the rest are lost, thrown to trash bins, or kept in | | | | phones door-to-door for their chosen cause or |
| drawers. | | | | charity? Is your church conducting a fund drive to |
| Why donate or recycle cell phones? | | | | replace the old sound system? There are always |
| Cell phones are an important source for recyclable | | | | many opportunities to donate and help locally. |
| materials like plastic, glass, silver, gold, and coltan. | | | | Environmental non-profit. These are groups that are |
| Throwing away these old phones is basically | | | | involved in environmental advocacy and conservation. |
| equivalent to throwing away precious resources that | | | | Usually, the group will set aside a certain percentage |
| could otherwise be reused to manufacture new | | | | of the proceeds from your cell phone donations to |
| cellular phones and other products. | | | | fund a specific environmental project - like gorilla |
| A grimmer aspect to cell phone recycling is the | | | | conservation, coral reef protection, or |
| toxicity of some of the metals found in cell phones. | | | | rainforest-related projects. |
| Once deposited in landfills, dangerous chemicals | | | | Old cell phones for victims of domestic violence. |
| leaching out of old phone casing and batteries like | | | | Violence against women and children is the ugly |
| brominated fire retardants (BFR), cadmium, lead, and | | | | underbelly of modern homes. Oftentimes, women |
| mercury have the potential to contaminate nearby | | | | and children who are victims of abuse in their own |
| underground water sources. These chemicals have | | | | homes flee to protect themselves and seek help, |
| been known to cause cancer, brain damage, and | | | | with nothing but the clothes on their back. |
| nervous system disorders, among a host of other | | | | Organizations providing refuge to these victims are |
| illnesses. | | | | constantly in need of old cellular phones these people |
| Donate cell phones to charity or non-profit | | | | can use to contact other family members or seek |
| Donating your used mobile phone to your favorite | | | | legal help. |
| charity is a most viable option worth considering. | | | | Cell phone for soldiers. Non-profits who are working |
| There are many charities, non-profit, or informal | | | | with members of the military and their families are |
| community- and school-based groups that are always | | | | also in need of used cellular phone donations. |
| collecting used phones across the country. Most of | | | | Proceeds from the used phones they're able to |
| these organizations are involved in food relief, | | | | collect and sell to recyclers are used to purchase |
| rehabilitation, international education, health, | | | | mobile phone cards to help soldiers stationed |
| environment, and domestic violence prevention | | | | overseas communicate with their loved ones back in |
| programs. | | | | the US. |
| By donating your used cellular phones to any one of | | | | Health advocacy. Non-profits working for health |
| these entities, you're basically turning something - | | | | advocacy often provide support to the victims of |
| that would have been useless otherwise - into a tool | | | | catastrophic diseases like cancer, leukemia, etc. and |
| to help these groups do their beneficial work. That | | | | their families. They also collect second-hand mobile |
| old cell phone you're planning to chuck into the trash | | | | phones to help fund their conntributions to research |
| bin or stash away in your drawer might just help | | | | facilities that are working to find the cures for these |
| someone out there today. | | | | diseases. |
| Tax-deductible donations | | | | Children's organizations. These are non-profits |
| If your dropping off or donating your old mobile | | | | involved in feeding, providing shelter and basic |
| directly to the non-profit, you may want to ask for a | | | | necessities, and educating children in needy |
| receipt from them, which can then be attached to | | | | communities here in the US and abroad. Organizations |
| your April filing to get the corresponding tax | | | | like "Feed The Children" are collecting used phones |
| deduction. Not all groups or non-profit are qualified to | | | | through their online partner, Pacebutler Corporation, |
| receive tax-offsetting donations, you just have to | | | | to help fund their work on behalf of these |
| ask. Otherwise, it's as simple as mailing or dropping | | | | disadvantaged children. |
| that old phone in a collection box in your community. | | | | As you can see, there are a lot of groups out there |
| Where to donate cell phones? | | | | that you can work with, to make a difference in the |
| It's up to you - most of the mainstream non-profit | | | | lives of others. whatever organization you choose to |
| organizations today have some kind of a cell phone | | | | help today, you can be sure that your old cellular |
| collection program to help generate funds. If you're | | | | phones are put to good use. It's easy and you know |
| not sure where to make a used or old phone | | | | that it's the right thing to do. |
| donation, here are some places you can go to: | | | | Donate cell phones to a charity or non-profit, today. |
| Local groups. Look around, check posters or online | | | | |