Hi there,
I just wanted you to know NextStep Recycling will be at the Market of Choice 1060 Green Acres Road April 23rd from 4 PM to 7 PM to collect obsolete cell phones, PDAs, and iPods from the community.
We have collected 479 pounds of cell phones/PDA/iPods in our first two days of collection. We are looking to collect 2000 pounds of cell phones/PDA/iPods by Saturday April 26th, the end of Earth Week. It is our hope that every community member will clear out their drawers and closets and recycle their obsolete phones, PDAs and iPods tomorrow!
Did You Know? According to the US EPA:
* There are approximately 300 million Americans, and 245 million are cell phone users.
* There are an estimated 65 million old cell phones stored annually in U.S., with 8 million in Oregon, 71,500 in Lane County, and 39,000 in the Eugene/Springfield area.
* Approximately 130 million cell phones will be discarded annually in the U.S. alone. Of these, 50 million will be landfilled and 65 million are being stored in people’s desk drawers, closets and/or garages.
* The phones that end up in landfills or incinerators contribute to environmental contamination.
* Cell phones contain toxic substances including arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc, all of which can leach into the soil and groundwater if not properly recycled.
* Cell phones that are incinerated form highly toxic dioxins & furans during the process, which evaporate into the air we breathe.
* These toxins have been associated with cancer and a wide range of reproductive, neurological and developmental disorders.
* The cadmium from a single phone is capable of polluting 158,200 gallons of water (2.4 million ounces worth of the various kinds of drinks we consume).
* When one million cell phones are recycled, it saves the planet from greenhouse gases equivalent to driving 1,000+ cars a year.