Recycle Your Old Cell Phone

Did you know that less than 5% of cell phones are recycled?  Cell phones contain a number of hazardous toxins that pollute our ground soil and water system when not recycled or disposed of responsibly.   These toxins include antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc.  They are persistent, lingering in the surrounding environment for long periods of time without breaking down.  These toxins are associated with a wide range of reproductive, neurological, and developmental disorders;  and of course cancer.  Unfortunately, all of the toxins from cell phones have all been discovered in the typical human body. Most people do not realize that, in addition to the environmental problems created by cell phone disposal, there is also an ongoing humanitarian crisis.  The issue has to do with the Democratic Repubic of the Congo (DRC) formerly called Zaire.  The DRC has been in a state of civil war for over a decade.  The war has been fuelled primarily by an ore called columbite-tantalite, or colton.  When refined, the mineral is used to make capacitors found in cell phones and other portable electronic devices.  80% of the known reserves of this ore are located in the DRC.  Rebels have been illegally mining colton to fund their war efforts.  Up to 10 million civilians have been slaughtered since 1996 when the war began. Another side effect of mining colton has been large forest areas being depopulated, resulting in a decrease in the gorilla population in the DRC by 90% in less than a decade.  The African elephants have suffered a similar fate.  Get the picture? Cell phones are one of the most recyclable products there is.  Most can be re-used by various groups of people.  There are charities you can donate your old cell phone to or you can also sell the old phone to recycling companies.

Proactive Recycling

Become a Pro-Active Recycler

by Steve Auger

People who recycle can be separated into two camps:  passive and active.  Passive recyclers are those who segregate plastics, glass and other recyclables for curbside pickup and, when the phone rings, donate used clothes. 

But being a good earth citizen requires more than a passive attitude towards recycling.  A good earth citizen needs to be proactive:  finding organizations that will take items ready for disposal;  discovering new recycling ideas;  going the extra mile...

Here are some ideas to get you started on making the transition from passive to active recycler:

Contact local animal shelters.  They may be interested in donations of:

• used blankets, sheets, pillows, comforters and towels;
• free-standing fans, heating pads/lamps;
• tennis balls and various pet toys;
• dog-related supplies such as dog collars, leashes, grooming tools and dog crates
• cat-related items such as cat trees, cat beds, cat carriers, scratching posts and litter boxes
• bird cages and aquariums

Donate used toys,  infant and toddler clothing, bedding and furniture to the U.S. military for distribution to kids in Iraq and other war-torn countries.  Here are a few organizations that may take donations:

• Kids of Iraq
• Airborne Angel Cadets
• Beanies for Baghdad
• Operation Puppy Love
• Soldiers Angels

Donate used eye glasses.  Lenscrafters, Lions Club and other organizations accept glasses and redistribute to needy recipients. 

Donate medical equipment such as wheel chairs, walkers and motorized scooters:   Everyone's Closet.

Donate used bicycles:   Recycle a Bicycle

Donate used building materials: 
Build It Green ! NYC
Rebuilders Source

Donate used furniture and other miscellaneous items.  The following sites pertain to NYC.  If outside this area then you will have to search for organizations in your area.
Material for the Arts
Robin Hood Foundation

So there you have it!   I've given you just a few ideas.  It is time for you to take the initiative, use some imagination and become a proactive recycler NOW!

This article is sponsored by linersandcovers.com, provider of Drum Liners.

Trash Talk 101

If you are in the business of blogging about trash you need to know your terminology.  Some terms are often inadvertently interchanged by writers and thus used incorrectly.  Get your words mixed up and your blogging credibility is blown right out of the starting gate. 

So to assist all those environmental bloggers out there I have created a little primer I have entitled Trash Talk 101.  Let's get started!

Reduce

The most straightforward term in the eco-blogger's vocabulary is reduce.  To reduce is to minimize consumption of either energy, food or any item that cannot be reused or recycled.  By reducing the intake of these items, waste / garbage are generally minimized.   OK - that was the easy part of Trash Talk 101.  From here on in it gets a bit more challenging.

Reuse

Bloggers often mix up the term reuse with recycle even though they should be relatively straightforward.  Reuse simply means to use an item again.  Where it gets tricky is that the item doesn't have to be used for a similar application.  For example, car tyres can be reused, either on a different automobile or for something totally different such as house insulation, for example.  Another example of reuse is to donate used clothing to charity.  Providing the recipient simply wears the clothing the term reuse applies.  If the clothing is instead cut and used for rags then the term reuse would not apply.

Recycle

To recycle generally means to process a used material with the intention of generating a new product.   Strictly speaking, recycling is the act of producing a fresh supply of the same material;  office paper for example.  But these days the term recycle also covers the processing of a used material in order to produce a different product.   Recycling often involves the salvage of specific materials, either due to their intrinsic value or due to their hazardous nature.  The term recovery is also used for the act of salvaging materials.

Precycle

To precycle simply means to think before you buy.  By making environmentally sound choices at the time of purchase, such as avoiding products with extra packaging or products made to satisfy only short-term needs, you are precycling.  Precycling avoids or reduces the need to recycle or reuse.

Upcycle

Confused yet?  This is the last term I am covering today.  Upcycle is a term used to describe the act of turning waste materials into a product of greater value or use.  So turning junk mail into mosaic junk to art for example would be an example of upscaling.

So now we have covered all these terms, where does composting fit in?