May 18 â€" KCB Unveils Cell Phone Recycling Plan
Keep California Beautiful has announced plans to implement a cell phone recycling program in anticipation of the implementation of California's Cell Phone Recycling Act in July.
CAW sponsored AB 2901 (Pavley), enacted the Cell Phone Recycling Act, in order to require retailers that sell phones to take them back for recycling.
There are over 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting idle in desk drawers or in landfills, with another 130 million estimated to be added this year alone. Unknown by most consumers, cell phones contain a large number of hazardous materials which can pollute air when incinerated and seep into drinking water when buried in landfills. These hazardous materials include arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc.
Visit www.keepcaliforniabeautiful.com and click on "Donate Your Cell Phone." All phones collected will be refurbished and reused or recycled at no cost to the donor, and in most cases postage is also provided. Unwanted cell phones are also being accepted at KCB's main office, located at 3914 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite A218, San Diego, weekdays from 9am-4pm. You can call KCB at 1-800-CLEAN CA.
California has banned the disposal of most consumer electronics, including cell phones, due to hazardous levels of toxic materials in these devices.
What you can do:
- Recycle your old phone through KCB or your local retailers.
- Support the phase out of toxic electronics by sending an e-mail to your State Legislator urging them to support CAW sponsored AB 2202 (Saldana), which requires manufacturers to phase out the use of toxics in electronics.