Most people have at least one old cell phones lying around they have been meaning to recycle "someday." In the US alone, there are an estimated 500 million unused cell phones, and, one in three Americans will replace their phones this year. If you finally do something with that phone, you could actually be benefiting soldiers in Iraq.
Cell Phones for Soldiers takes your cast offs and sells them and converts the money to phone cards. The postage is paid, all you have to do is box it up. If you prefer to bring the old phone in person, there are drop points set up at across the country, including AT&T stores.
They accept all makes, models and conditions, so even if you've got an enormous retro phone, they'll take it. In addition to phones, they also accept accessories like chargers and batteries as well as taking in Blackberry PDAs and pagers.
The important of recycling phones has been brought to our attention before, ReCellular also gives proceeds to those in need:
Recycled Phones For a Cause
Cell Phones for Soldiers
Trend Themes
1. Phone Recycling - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a more convenient and accessible phone recycling program to encourage more people to recycle their old phones.
2. Charitable Donations - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a platform that allows individuals to easily donate their unwanted items to various charities and organizations.
3. Electronic Waste Management - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement efficient and sustainable solutions for managing electronic waste, including proper recycling and disposal methods.
Industry Implications
1. Telecommunications - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce innovative phone trade-in programs and services that incentivize customers to upgrade their devices and recycle their old phones.
2. E-commerce - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create an online marketplace specifically for donating and selling used electronic devices, providing a platform for individuals and organizations to connect and exchange items.
3. Environmental Services - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced techniques and technologies for recycling and repurposing electronic waste, contributing to the conservation of resources and reduction of environmental impact.