Just as we discard old clothes and buy new ones on a frequent basis, we do the same to our cell phones these days. If you buy a cell phone today, it is likely the phone will be obsolete in a few months, perhaps a year. Then what do you do? You probably start finding a buyer who is ready to buy your phone; you sell it and then go for that new Smartphone.
So far so good, but sometimes all of us get into a situation wherein we do not find a good buyer and we are left with no other option than to discard our cell phones, especially the ones that are not Smartphones. Some of us throw them in bins, which end up in landfill sites. While throwing them we fail to realize the hazardous consequences our act can have.
Discarded electronic objects, especially phones can have a huge impact on the environment. The cell phone waste lying in open release toxic elements in the air that makes the air unfit for humans, animals, and plants. The chemicals from mobile phones seep into the earth and water supplies, and make the water and plants poisonous. The chemicals are so dangerous that even a leak from a single battery can contaminate huge tracts of land and around 600,000 liters of water. The chemicals include mercury and cadmium that pose a serious threat to health and the environment.
Recycling is a perfect solution for this problem. Give your old cell phones to a recycling unit and try not to simply consign it to the garbage bin. All you need to do is to take your phone to a mobile service center and ask the shop assistant to fill in the details. Then drop your cell and the charger in the recycle bin, and you can get a gift in return.
There are some other agencies also who have these drop boxes in which you are supposed to drop your old cell phones, and they give you something in return. Recycling a mobile phone benefits the environment, since proper disposal would prevent the toxic waste from the phones from entering ecosystems.
Summary
Your electronic devices, especially smartphones need to be recycled rather than just consigned to garbage. Proper recycling and reuse of mobile phones can dramatically help with proper waste management.
