[Sqg-program] FW: article-- cell phone recycling
Perrigan, Glen
sqg-program@lists.dep.state.fl.us
Mon, 28 Jul 2003 15:01:51 -0400
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FYI
(would be a good one for HHW/SQG lists)
Raoul
( web site has a picture, otherwise article is embeded below)=20
http://olive.flacoast.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=3DOliveXLib:Artic=
leToMa
il&Type=3Dtext/html&Path=3DFDNews/2003/07/20&ID=3DAr02103
=20
=20
Used cells bring charities revenue=20
* Overseas market for recycled phones newest source of fund raising for
shelters.=20
By DAWN WOTAPKA KRT News Wire=20
DALLAS - Like many domestic abuse shelters, The Family Place =
collects old
cellphones.=20
But the goal isn't to help victims place potentially life-saving 911
calls. It's about raising money.=20
Although the center uses a small number of phones, the rest are =
resold.
They fetch between $3 and $7 each to help cover the Dallas center's =
expenses.
"We get too many to use," explained Emily Santillan, the shelter's
resource development coordinator. "The money is put back into the =
shelter."=20
It is not hard for The Family Place to find excess phones. Because
options change rapidly, U.S. consumers activate a new phone as often as =
every
18 months - more than twice the rate they cast off personal computers.=20
"People just want something newer or bluer," said Seth Heine, =
founder of
CollectiveGood, a private mobile device recycling company. "They want
something that jiggles rather than jingles."=20
That's helping create more than 50 million retired phones each year, =
many
of them reusable. Instead of these phones gathering dust in closets and
drawers, more are being given to charities.=20
But the number they activate is plummeting. Instead, the phones =
enter a
complicated and burgeoning network where most are resold overseas.=20
Until recently, women's shelters were unofficially designated the
recipients of choice for these castoffs. But, for the most part, that =
need
has been met. Now, only a small number -some estimates say 5 percent - =
of
donations nationwide actually end up in a battered woman's hands.=20
"911 phones will always be needed," said Marc Leff, cofounder of =
Shelter
Alliance, a firm that buys phones from shelters. "But there is a big
opportunity there for fund raising with the excess, the surplus."=20
And a wider variety of groups are sharing that surplus:=20
* Staples recently launched a collection program benefiting the Sierra =
Club.=20
* CollectiveGood, meanwhile, lets donors specify where proceeds go. =
That's
earned the National Taxpayers Union $104 for 34 phones and the SPCA of =
Texas
$728 this year.=20
* AT&T Wireless stores the phones and ships them to American Red Cross
volunteers and workers within hours of a disaster. Profits from =
recycling
outdated phones are donated to Keep America Beautiful Inc.=20
Sprint also donates phones in emergencies. But it decided to stop
providing phones and airtime to shelters and concentrate on recycling 18
months ago because it knew fixing phones was time-consuming and many =
ended up
lost or stolen. The profits, so far roughly $600,000 for 150,000 phones, =
are
shared between the Easter Seals and the National Organization on =
Disability.=20
As the number of older phones increases, so has the amount of =
companies
competing for them.=20
Here's how the process works: Middlemen such as the Wireless =
Foundation
rely on retailers and charities to collect and mail phones. The Wireless
Foundation never sees the phone, though it receives onethird of the =
phone's
revenue, through collectors.=20
CollectiveGood and the Shelter Alliance buy the phone outright.=20
The phone's next step is diagnostics. Stored information, including
voicemail messages and preprogrammed numbers, is deleted. If necessary, =
the
phone is fixed.=20
Now it is ready to be resold. Some remain in the United States, =
where
they're used as pre-paid phones.=20
Most are shipped abroad where companies do not underwrite much of a =
new
phone's cost, making the technology unaffordable, said Jenifer Chambers,
director of charitable collections for ReCellular Inc. The private =
company
handles 350,000 to 500,000 per month and is said to be the nation's =
largest
used phone reseller.=20
The average refurbished phone resells for $50 to $100 in Latin =
America,
the current hotspot, Chambers said.=20
Although charities see a small portion of that, most say they're =
happy
for anything they can get.=20
"In reality the phones generate much-needed funds," said Kim Burrs,
director of marketing for the Body Shop, which collects cellphones. =
"Times
right now for nonprofits are tough."=20
Agencies strive to ensure that donors understand the phone is =
resold.=20
When the Body Shop launches its annual phone drive in late =
September,
salespeople will explain the process, spokeswoman Alexa Harnett said.=20
"People were thinking that the phones were being refurbished and =
going
directly to the women's' hands," she said. "It actually gets sold. ... =
It
sounds kind of strange and shady, but it's actually not."=20
Collectors are less clear, however, on how they define recycling.=20
Many campaigns say that recycling phones prevents them from clogging
landfills. Only up to 25 percent of donations have usable parts removed =
and
the remainders incinerated. The rest will probably become trash =
overseas,
where disposal laws may not be as strict.=20
And that concerns environmentalists.=20
"It's good that these programs are one potential solution to address =
the
growing stream of wireless waste. However, we're simply diverting our =
waste
from our landfills and incinerators to countries that are abroad," said =
Eric
Most, director of Inform Inc.'s solid waste prevention program.=20
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<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2></FONT></DIV><SPAN class=3D038133614-21072003><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>FYI</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D038133614-21072003><FONT color=3D#0000ff>(would be a =
good one for=20
HHW/SQG lists)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D038133614-21072003><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>Raoul</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT=20
face=3DTahoma><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D038133614-21072003></SPAN>(<SPAN=20
class=3D038133614-21072003><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D3> web site has a picture, otherwise article =
is embeded=20
below) </FONT></SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=3DSection1>
<P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A=20
href=3D"http://olive.flacoast.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=3DOliveXL=
ib:ArticleToMail&Type=3Dtext/html&Path=3DFDNews/2003/07/20&ID=
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p;ID=3DAr02103</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
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<P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3D5>Used =
cells bring=20
charities revenue </FONT></P>
<P></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT face=3DArial><BR><FONT size=3D5>• =
Overseas market for=20
recycled phones newest source of fund raising for shelters. =
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal><B><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold; black: ">By DAWN WOTAPKA </SPAN>KRT News =
Wire=20
</FONT></B><BR><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2> DALLAS — Like=20
many domestic abuse shelters, The Family Place collects old cellphones.=20
<BR><BR> But the goal isn’t to help victims =
place=20
potentially life-saving 911 calls. It’s about raising money.=20
<BR><BR> Although the center uses a small number =
of=20
phones, the rest are resold. They fetch between $3 and $7 each to help =
cover the=20
Dallas center’s expenses. <BR><BR> "We get =
too many to=20
use," explained Emily Santillan, the shelter’s resource =
development coordinator.=20
"The money is put back into the shelter." =
<BR><BR> It is=20
not hard for The Family Place to find excess phones. Because options =
change=20
rapidly, U.S. consumers activate a new phone as often as every 18 months =
— more=20
than twice the rate they cast off personal computers.=20
<BR><BR> "People just want something newer or =
bluer,"=20
said Seth Heine, founder of CollectiveGood, a private mobile device =
recycling=20
company. "They want something that jiggles rather than jingles."=20
<BR><BR> That’s helping create more than 50 =
million=20
retired phones each year, many of them reusable. Instead of these phones =
gathering dust in closets and drawers, more are being given to =
charities.=20
<BR><BR> But the number they activate is =
plummeting.=20
Instead, the phones enter a complicated and burgeoning network where =
most are=20
resold overseas. <BR><BR> Until recently, =
women’s=20
shelters were unofficially designated the recipients of choice for these =
castoffs. But, for the most part, that need has been met. Now, only a =
small=20
number —some estimates say 5 percent — of donations =
nationwide actually end up=20
in a battered woman’s hands. <BR><BR> "911 =
phones will=20
always be needed," said Marc Leff, cofounder of Shelter Alliance, a firm =
that=20
buys phones from shelters. "But there is a big opportunity there for =
fund=20
raising with the excess, the surplus." =
<BR><BR> And a=20
wider variety of groups are sharing that surplus: <BR>• Staples =
recently=20
launched a collection program benefiting the Sierra Club. =
<BR><BR><BR>•=20
CollectiveGood, meanwhile, lets donors specify where proceeds go. =
That’s earned=20
the National Taxpayers Union $104 for 34 phones and the SPCA of Texas =
$728 this=20
year. <BR><BR><BR>• AT&T Wireless stores the phones and ships =
them to=20
American Red Cross volunteers and workers within hours of a disaster. =
Profits=20
from recycling outdated phones are donated to Keep America Beautiful =
Inc.=20
<BR><BR> Sprint also donates phones in =
emergencies. But=20
it decided to stop providing phones and airtime to shelters and =
concentrate on=20
recycling 18 months ago because it knew fixing phones was time-consuming =
and=20
many ended up lost or stolen. The profits, so far roughly $600,000 for =
150,000=20
phones, are shared between the Easter Seals and the National =
Organization on=20
Disability. <BR><BR> As the number of older =
phones=20
increases, so has the amount of companies competing for them.=20
<BR><BR> Here’s how the process works: =
Middlemen such as=20
the Wireless Foundation rely on retailers and charities to collect and =
mail=20
phones. The Wireless Foundation never sees the phone, though it receives =
onethird of the phone’s revenue, through collectors.=20
<BR><BR> CollectiveGood and the Shelter Alliance =
buy the=20
phone outright. <BR><BR> The phone’s next =
step is=20
diagnostics. Stored information, including voicemail messages and =
preprogrammed=20
numbers, is deleted. If necessary, the phone is fixed.=20
<BR><BR> Now it is ready to be resold. Some =
remain in the=20
United States, where they’re used as pre-paid phones.=20
<BR><BR> Most are shipped abroad where companies =
do not=20
underwrite much of a new phone’s cost, making the technology =
unaffordable, said=20
Jenifer Chambers, director of charitable collections for ReCellular Inc. =
The=20
private company handles 350,000 to 500,000 per month and is said to be =
the=20
nation’s largest used phone reseller. =
<BR><BR> The=20
average refurbished phone resells for $50 to $100 in Latin America, the =
current=20
hotspot, Chambers said. <BR><BR> Although =
charities see a=20
small portion of that, most say they’re happy for anything they =
can get.=20
<BR><BR> "In reality the phones generate =
much-needed=20
funds," said Kim Burrs, director of marketing for the Body Shop, which =
collects=20
cellphones. "Times right now for nonprofits are tough."=20
<BR><BR> Agencies strive to ensure that donors =
understand=20
the phone is resold. <BR><BR> When the Body Shop =
launches=20
its annual phone drive in late September, salespeople will explain the =
process,=20
spokeswoman Alexa Harnett said. <BR><BR> "People =
were=20
thinking that the phones were being refurbished and going directly to =
the=20
women’s’ hands," she said. "It actually gets sold. ... It =
sounds kind of strange=20
and shady, but it’s actually not." =
<BR><BR> Collectors=20
are less clear, however, on how they define recycling.=20
<BR><BR> Many campaigns say that recycling phones =
prevents them from clogging landfills. Only up to 25 percent of =
donations have=20
usable parts removed and the remainders incinerated. The rest will =
probably=20
become trash overseas, where disposal laws may not be as strict.=20
<BR><BR> And that concerns environmentalists.=20
<BR><BR> "It’s good that these programs are =
one potential=20
solution to address the growing stream of wireless waste. However, =
we’re simply=20
diverting our waste from our landfills and incinerators to countries =
that are=20
abroad," said Eric Most, director of Inform Inc.’s solid waste =
prevention=20
program. <BR><BR></FONT></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
=00
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