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Going Green: Cell Phone Recycling

mbrown
Explorer B

'Call Me, Beep Me, If You Wanna Recycle Me' ... July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, instituted to remind cell-phone users of cell-phone manners and how, when, and where it’s appropriate to use our cellular devices.  Cell phone etiquette, however, extends beyond polite use—it’s also important to consider how you dispose of your old cell phones and other electronics. Cell phones and other electronic products are made of valuable materials that require significant energy to mine and manufacture, such as metals, plastic, and glass.  By donating or recycling your used electronics, you can help conserve resources and avoid water and air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, byproducts of manufacturing new materials. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, for every two million cell phones we recycle, we can recover 70 thousand pounds of copper, 1,544 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 66 pounds of palladium!  That’s the weight of a Boeing 737-700 aircraft! At Southwest, we’re careful of our energy consumption and have made an effort to track our recycling since 2008.  As a Company, we recycle a variety of industrial materials, including electronics, such as computers, monitors, and printers.  Check out our One Report for more details! Find manufacturers and retailers near you that donate or recycle electronics on the EPA’s page on electronic recycling. How do you recycle your technology?  Let us know by commenting below!