This Earth Day, Donate Old Cell Phones for A Good Cause

According to the latest findings by the Pew Research Center, for the first time, cell phone ownership among adults has exceeded 90% and use among teens is strong, with 78% now owning a cell phone. Also on the rise is the rate at which consumers replace their old mobile devices, yet the EPA reports they are only recycled at a rate of 11 percent. Most end up getting stockpiled in junk drawers and closets, or worse, just thrown in the trash. There is, however, another option.

Many retailers have programs that make it easy for consumers to recycle their wireless phones and other electronics. At Verizon Wireless, used phones in any condition from any service provider can be returned to any of our stores nationwide.  Through the company's HopeLine program, phones are either recycled or refurbished for resale and reuse with proceeds supporting victims of domestic violence.  All local stores have HopeLine recycling bins for convenient drop-off.  Or download free, postage-paid labels at http://www.verizonwireless.com/dam/aboutus/pdfs/hopelinemailinglabel.pdf to mail your old equipment directly to our recycler.

Over the past decade, HopeLine has collected ten million phones and donated more than $18 million in cash grants nationwide, including support of local domestic violence prevention groups such as the Montgomery County Family Justice Center Foundation, the House of Ruth, My Sister's Place and Artemis House. 

And, community groups aren’t the only ones that benefit when consumers recycle their cell phones.  According to the EPA, approximately 152 million mobile devices are discarded annually, and if all were recycled, enough energy would be saved to power more than 24,000 U.S. homes for one year.  

As today is Earth Day, what could be easier than recycling your old cell phone?