According to a recent article from Barron’s, roughly 5.3 million cell phones will be discarded in 2022. The article states that is the equivalent of 30,000 miles of phones! In another recent study, 72% of people surveyed don’t recycle their e-waste. Throwing out cell phones creates two giant problems that everyone should be aware of which can be resolved through cell phone recycling.

Why Recycle?

Sustainable

The obvious reason to recycle cell phones is to prevent their components from ending up in landfills. Metals such as lithium and magnesium are extremely harmful to humans and the environment, causing many health defects in all sorts of animal life. 

Recycling these materials allows for the metals to be harvested and reused in future devices, thus completing the circular economy. 

Protects Your Data

Dumpster diving is real. One of the easiest and most common ways for data to be stolen is through dumpster diving. Once a phone is thrown out, it makes it much easier for a hacker to access your data. 

Data that can be attained this way fits into multiple categories:

• Passwords

• Files and software

• Bank information

• Phone numbers

• Emails and texts

By recycling your data with a reputable company, cell phone data is permanently erased from the phone 

How to Recycle

IT asset disposition (ITAD) specialists are the best companies to handle cell phone recycling. Why? Because they are certified and reputable. The best ITAD companies, such as eLoop, are e-Stewards and NAID AAA certified as that is the highest standard . These certifications mean your data is properly destroyed or sanitized with the most sophisticated software possible as well as properly recycling the cell phones so they do not end up in landfills.

If you have any questions or would like a free assessment of your cell phone recycling program, please contact eLoop and we will help with your needs.