The League of Women Voters of Cleveland Educational Fund Cellular Phone Recycling Program
Save on taxes. Save the environment.
Help our community. Donate your cell phone!
The League of Women Voters of the Cleveland Area is pleased to announce a new partnership with EcoPhones. This effort will help raise money for our education programs and help the environment. EcoPhones is a leader in cellular phone fundraising and recycling and currently works with over 4,000 educational, civic
and religious organizations throughout the United States pioneering a large-scale collection of cellular waste.
EcoPhones' philosophy reflects the League’s commitment to the environment and the community through this recycling partnership. The League of Women Voters of Cleveland Educational Fund will receive $3 for each cellular phone it collects for recycling. We are simply asking you to protect the environment by donating
your used digital cell phone(s). Your used cell phone(s) may be tax deductible and will be recycled in accordance with EPA regulations or refurbished and sold. 100% of the proceeds will help fund the League of Women Voters outreach and education efforts. Cell phones may be dropped off at our office located at 1148 Euclid Avenue, Suite 500, Cleveland, Ohio - Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Why are cell phones so harmful to the environment?
A: According to INFORM, Inc., an independent environmental research organization, the improper disposal of cellular phones poses a serious threat to the environment. Cell phones contain toxic substances including Arsenic, Antimony, Beryllium, Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc. (NOTE: The cadmium from a single
phone is capable of polluting 158,200 gallons of water or the equivalent of 1.2 million 16-ounce coffees.) These toxic substances either leach into soil and groundwater from landfills or form highly toxic dioxins & furans during incineration associated with certain types of cancer and a range of reproductive, neurological and developmental disorders especially in children. Over 65 million cellular phones are already stockpiled in U.S. households creating 30,000 tons of potentially hazardous waste. With the average American replacing his/her cell phones every 12 months the problem is only growing worse. By 2005, an estimated 130 million cellular phones will be discarded annually in the U.S. alone.
What does EcoPhones do with the cell phones it collects?
A: Older cell phones that cannot be reused and do not have any economic value are recycled in accordance with state and federal EPA guidelines. EcoPhones utilizes Recycle Alliance of America, a subsidiary of Waste Management as its e-waste recycling agent and maintains ‘Certificates of Destruction’ documentation on file.
Cell phones that have an economic value are refurbished and reused in markets utilizing compatible wireless technologies. Reuse reduces the depletion of our Earth's finite resources.
Will you accept any old cell phone?
A: Qualifying phones are phones that include both working and non-working cell phones. Working phones are phones that power up, possess an undamaged LCD screen, make a test call and are not cracked or otherwise damaged. Non-working phones are also accepted.
Do you accept accessories such as batteries and chargers, etc.?
A: As cell phone batteries account for the majority of harmful substances related to cellular phone waste EcoPhones encourages us to include phone batteries. We cannot accept all other accessories such as chargers, cases, ear microphones, etc. Please recycle these items locally and responsibly.