If you think the noise from people yakking into their cell phones on your morning train is killing you, just think about all those phones winding up in the garbage. About 130 million cell phones will be discarded this year-the average life span is18 months-and those that don’t go into the attic or the junk drawer can wind up in the trash. Consumers are aware of the potential danger from toxic waste created by discarded electronics, AC Nielson Research reports, but 85 percent don’t know that they can recycle their old phones, MP3 players and computers right in their own neighborhoods. The solution is as close as the cell-phone recycling drop-box at your local Best Buy, as simple as going to wirelessfoundation.org to donate your cell phone to victims of domestic violence, or as easy as logging on to earth911.com, where you can search by ZIP code for organizations that will find a good home for your old tangerine iMac. Besides the charitable alternatives, you might be interested to know that every 20 seconds a cell phone sells on eBay. Minnesota resident Chris Allen, who makes a living trading on eBay, claims he can get from $50 to $100 for an antique (circa 2003) 20gb iPod. His business is 60 percent electronics and, he says, “iPods and laptops are hot right now.”
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...