According to the experts at the UK Guardian’s Green Living Blog, over 35 pounds of carbon is emitted during the manufacturing of one cell phone. When considering that most consumers purchase a new cell phone at least once every two years, the amount of carbon released during cell phone manufacturing is astounding. In order to decrease the cell phone industry’s carbon footprint, as well as keep cell phones out of landfills, many consumers are choosing to recycle their cell phones. Most popular U.S. cell phone providers will gladly take a customer’s old cell phone and recycle it for parts or refurbish the phone to be resold. It is even possible for consumers to sell their old phones to third party companies, so that they may repair and sell these phones for a profit. This recycling of cell phones is great for the environment, while being good for the economy as well.
Many consumers are also choosing to go green by purchasing used or refurbished cell phones. Not only are these phones environmentally friendly, they are cheaper than new phones, and do not require a consumer to re-sign a contract in order to get a good price on the phone. These benefits are encouraging many cell phone users to go green and purchase a recycled or refurbished phone, instead of only considering a brand new phone, as was commonly the case in previous years.