Eco-cell: Saving the Planet One Cell Phone at a Time

The people of our country have a bad habit of worshipping, that which hurts both our planet and ourselves. Out of all the materialistic idols we serve, none may be more powerful than the almighty cell phone. Unless you are living in a very isolated area, you cannot travel more than a few blocks before seeing a cell phone store or advertisement. Even more incredible is the amount of waste that cell phones produce. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) there were 500 million obsolete cell phones in 2005. The EPA estimates that in 2003 less than one percent of unused phones were recycled. It doesn't take a lot to believe those numbers have increased significantly over the last few years. The amount of e-waste being produced is staggering.

E-waste is not the only problem the lack of recycling is causing. The increased demand for newer and better products drives the need for the ore Coltan. Coltan is an ore used to coat cell phone components and is found in the Congo. The natives who mine the ore have been killing off endangered gorilla and elephant habitats. If something is not done there is a strong possibility these habitats will become extinct.

Someone needed to take action and that's where Eric Ronay and his company Eco-Cell (www.eco-cell.com) come in. Eric started the company three years ago and the company had a strong start recycling 9,000 phones in their first year. In 2008 they were able to recycle over 60,000 phones. According to Eric, half of the phones are melted down to recycle the metals and the other half are refurbished for sale. The income produced by the refurbished phones goes back into the conservation efforts. None of the phones or components goes to waste as Eco-Cell is committed to keeping every phone they receive out of the landfills.

"Right now the main activity comes from the Zoos because of their connection to the endangered habitats." Eric explained. Currently Eco-Cell has 101 Zoos on board with the program, including major Zoos such as San Diego and the Bronx. The zoos have proved to be an incredible source, but sixty thousand out of fifty million is a small number. So what has prevented the program from doing more?

"It's a simple concept to understand and easy to do," Eric said, "but a lot of people don't know that the program exists." Eco-Cell has yet to be featured on a major news program or publication. "We have mainly been a grassroots effort and have not received the large-scale exposure we need." he added. The company has also tried to implement the program with a few major corporations, but have yet to see any solid results. It further complicates matters that only California, Maine, Maryland and Washington have passed legislation on cell phone recycling.

The E-recycling effort is important both as a conservationist and ecological effort. Eco-Cell has had some success, but they need more help to give this program the attention it deserves. If you are reading this please take five minutes and make a call to your local government representative or a major corporations like Disney. Can you imagine the good Eco-Cell can do at a location like Disney World? It won't be long before this waste becomes our next environmental crisis, if it isn't already. There is still time to take action before 500 million obsolete phones becomes a billion.