Mobile phone recycling environmental awareness

Jan 7 2010 By Damien Porter

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Over the past few years, environmental awareness has become more and more important, and is now an accepted, and necessary, facet of modern thinking.

It has turned into a vital part of our lives, and being green has gone from an issue on the periphery of our consciousness to an unquestioned component of the future of our very existence. Most people are more than aware of the need to recycle plastic, glass, cans, newspaper and packaging; in fact, it’s become a daily routine in most homes now.

However, it’s not commonly known that many other items can - and should - be recycled. Printer cartridges, batteries, computer keyboards and electrical equipment all fall into this category, as does the humble cellphone. Mobile phone recycling can, and does, make a real difference to our planet.

There are companies that specialise in this, and their efforts are helping as we fight unnecessary waste. When these companies receive old phones, their first task is to assess the quality and usefulness, before deciding whether to refurbish or recycle the unit.

Many of these phones are in perfectly good working order and are simply victims of fashion. Some people upgrade their phones purely because they’re a little out of date rather than because they actually have anything wrong with them.

These can be sent back out to be used in developing countries, for example, where the need to keep with the Joneses isn’t perhaps quite as important. Mobile phone recycling doesn’t always involve taking them to bits and salvaging the parts. Often, the handsets have nothing wrong with them at all.

If they can’t be re-used, then the phones are broken down into individual components and recycled. One of the benefits of these modern miracles is that every part can be used again, so there’s no waste at all.

Most cellphones contain various metals, including silver, which can be reclaimed and re-utilised in new phones and other items. The plastic components, such as the housing, the keypad and the screen, can all be granulated and reformed.

There are many items, such as computer keyboards and laptops, which are made from recycled plastic. This most versatile of materials lends itself perfectly to recycling, and is adaptable enough to be used in most manufacturing sectors.

All other parts of the cellphone will be utilised. Keypads, if not worn down too much, can be placed in new machines, and the same applies to the printed circuit boards that make the phones work. Aerials, usually located internally or as an integral part, are easily re-utilised.

The batteries are usually in need of only a minor refurbishment and are perfectly fit for re-use. Battery recycling is a crucial process, whether they’re used in mobile telephones, laptops, cars or even lorries. Abandoned batteries are extremely damaging to the environment.

Mobile phone recycling is, thankfully, on the increase and has advantages on two fronts. Re-using existing parts obviously cuts down greatly on the requirement to manufacture new ones, but it also means a huge reduction in the energy required to produce new products.

In recent years, ecological awareness has become ever more important to all of us, and environmental campaigners are understandably reluctant to let it slip down the agenda. Recycling is a continuing weapon in the battle against unnecessary waste.