RECELLULAR REUSED AND RECYCLED 5.5 MILLION CELL PHONES IN 2008, UP 35 PERCENT YEAR OVER YEAR

 

2008 ReCellular Corporate Sustainability Report Details Cell Phone Collections, Charitable Fundraising, Reuse Processes, and Recycling Results

 

Ann Arbor, Mich., Feb. 16 – ReCellular, the world’s leading electronics-sustainability firm, collected and processed 5.5 million phones for reuse and recycling in 2008. This represents a 35 percent increase year-over-year, reflecting ReCellular’s ongoing efforts to increase the availability and consumer awareness of cell-phone recycling in the U.S. and Canada.

 

“This year, we made great progress towards our goal of transforming the lifecycle of a cell phone,” says Chuck Newman, ReCellular CEO. “With the help of our industry partners, ReCellular is working to create a sustainable model where every handset is recycled into the core materials needed to build its replacement.”

 

That progress is documented in the company’s first annual sustainability report, available at www.ReCellular.com/Sustainability. Highlights of ReCellular’s 2008 report include:

 

• ReCellular collected 5.5 Million Phones, weighing as much as three Boeing 747-400s.

 

• ReCellular donate-a-phone programs raised $4.0 million for charitable causes and grassroots organizations, from local Boy Scout troops to the national Cell Phones for Soldiers program.

 

• ReCellular’s 102 point data-removal process deleted an average of 5 megabytes of information per handset –removing a total of 10 terabytes of personal contacts, e-mail, photos and financial information from donated phones.

 

• ReCellular recycled 1.2 million pounds of materials, including handsets, batteries, phone chargers and accessories, and paper and plastic shipping materials.

 

• ReCellular reclaimed 21,000 pounds of copper, 954 pounds of silver, and 96 pounds of gold from recycled circuit boards and electronics accessories.

 

According to Newman, ReCellular decided to publish their annual sustainability report to help address consumer and corporate questions about responsible recycling practices:

 

“Recently, we have seen a sharp increase in recycling as people become more environmentally conscious. We have also seen literally hundreds of companies springing up to take advantage of peoples’ good intentions. Unfortunately, the improper recycling practices of some firms can have serious environmental and social consequences – causing people to worry that recycling their phones could make the situation worse, not better.”

 

“We hope our 2008 report demonstrates that responsible electronics recycling provides tangible benefits, including charitable fundraising, social empowerment and environmental conservation. We also hope the information detailed in our 2008 report will solidify ReCellular’s position as the most responsible, most trusted electronics-sustainability firm in the world.”

 

 

About ReCellular
With offices in the United States and Hong Kong, ReCellular Inc. is the world’s leading electronics-sustainability firm. We provide solutions for the collection, reuse and recycling of used personal electronics that generate financial return for our partners, quality products for our customers, funding for charity organizations, and protection of the environment. Corporate, charitable, consumer and wholesale information is available at at www.ReCellular.com.