Cellular Recycler is R2 Certified

Cellular Recycler receives industry leading R2 certification

Cellular Recycler LLC, a top 5 end-of-life e-waste management company with concentration on wireless technology located in Boulder, Colorado, is proud to announce its recent R2 "Responsible Recycling" certification. The company has always operated intently to strict recycling and focus material disposition.

For our wireless carriers our firm will mitigate their e-waste disposal risks by meeting the highest industry recycling and environmental standards. We will continually work directly with corporations, state and local agencies, as well as the non profit sector offering environmentally responsible solutions for the handling and recycling of end of life telecommunication devices. Each recycling operation that becomes R2 certified not only sets themselves apart as an industry leader, but they become part of the movement to raise the overall industry standards for operations and material handling.  

What R2 certification means to Cellular Recycler vendors:

R2 distinguishes Cellular Recycler as a top 5 leader and we have chosen this certification because:

• We care about the environment here in the U.S., and globally 
• We take environmental responsibilities seriously 
• We know data security is a top priority 
• We adhere to the highest industry standards and best practices 
• We are a top 5 industry leader in operations, and environmental education & large lot wholesale disposition 
• And because our objective is to educate corporate staffers to the importance of a sustainable mission 

Being an R2 Certified electronics recycler involves heightened compliance in data security and environmental practices and procedures. It also prohibits the export of equipment and components containing materials to developing countries unless the transaction is legal under both the export and import countries' laws and the receiving facility meets the criteria of an appropriate downstream vendor.

R2 is the leading standard for the electronics recycling industry setting a high bar for practices that protect the environment, human health, safety and the security of the recycling process.

Cellular Recycler is Colorado's newest R2 Certified Responsible Recycling Company. We would like to thank all of our current vendors and customers for your support. Cellular Recycler will continue to invest in our environment for this generation as well as future generations to come.

Are you getting the whole pie or just a slice?

So, in efforts to outsource their ‘sales’ department, companies have created programs where kids can sell their products and receive commission on the sale. These programs are by no means evil, in fact they have no doubt raised millions of dollars for schools around the nation, and filled countless stomachs with delectable delights.

But, shouldn’t a fundraiser be more than just asking people to buy an overpriced item they’ll have to wait weeks to receive?

The appeal of food fundraisers is that you selling such an tasty (albeit unhealthy) product that the product will sell itself. But how is somebody expected to shell out $25 for a pizza when they can have one delivered by Pizza Hut for $10?

Well my fundraising idea isn’t selling any product, its simply collecting the old cell phones that people (correctly) have chosen not to throw away. Skeptical? You should be after you’ve being pitched every other fundraiser in the book.

Well, let’s start off with this one simple question: How many phones do you have sitting at your house gathering dust, 2,3,4? If you answered none, I’m betting that either your 10 years old, have thrown them away, or hopefully recycled them.

Collect them up and send them in (shipping’s on me) and I’ll pay you more than a buck per phone. I can either re-sell them for re-use or melt them down for their precious metals like gold.
We’ll inventory them for you, e-mail you the report & send you a check, not points or some other arbitrary abstraction of money.

E-Waste (Electronic waste) is the fastest growing waste stream in America, and wouldn’t you rather have your students/kids being part of the solution and fundraise at the same time?

Are you getting the whole pie or just a slice?

Meet The Boss - Stockholm Central Station

I wanted to introduce you to a really useful site called Meet The Boss I located within my Green group on LinkedIn.

The site is stuffed with video interview of leaders of the worlds biggest companies providing advice, insights and information about how they got to where they are and tips for business success.

The site has some good content on green topics such as sustainability and the triple bottom line but is focused on more general business topics that provide valuable learning.

Below is an interesting example of one of the videos on the site I found fascinating and I am sure you will too!

Stockholm Central Station uses excess body heat as heating for a nearby office building.

According to a report by the BBC, each individual creates about 100 watts of heat but this is noticeably increased when doing non-vigorous activities such as shopping or eating. The Central Station in Stockholm is the ideal place, whereby around 250,000 people pass through per day and there is surplus of body heat. The question is how is the body heat used for heating?

Hit the Video Link to SEE more!

Finally... Smartphone apps meet Automakers

This has been a long awaited marriage. It must be the bureaucracy of car making, or the intricate ties with government regulations, but cellphones have been meant to merge with cars since the beginning.
How nice would it be to have your car linked instantly with the web and all the amazing potential that comes with that?
Think about this new app Carbonga... it connects into your phones diagnostics board and give you instant feedback and explanations when your car engine light turns on. Or how about Sync, an Mp3 player and voice commanded text messaging app you can use while driving?

I believe this is the obvious progression of cars. With the increase of social media's integration into mainstream life, one would wonder when will cars be next?
That time has come. Brace yourselves, the entire driving experience is about to change.

If that doesn't excite you, then check out Google's self driving automobiles. That will surely be a game shaker.





Cellphones are becoming more and more versatile and integral to our existence. Lets keep them out of landfills and push their potentials to the limit.

Femtocells increase your coverage and stop iphone congestion

Ever heard of a Femtocell? These little chips act as mini cell towers, bringing cellphone service to areas that usually have spotty, at best coverage.

They also function as additional tower strength in areas where congestion is so bad that the networks slows down to a trickle. In these instances, it is good for reducing traffic temporarily because femtocells are much cheaper than actual cell towers.

It is a strange thing, that you sometime find yourself in a busy area and you can't make a phone call. Cell carriers are slowly figuring out new ways to enhance signal strength, but I think we're still a ways off from having full coverage everywhere. I imagine the newer phones will have better antennae and be capable themselves of enhancing the signal no matter where you are. Either way, cellphones are seemingly becoming better but the service isn't.

For now, I wouldn't recommend looking into a femtocell unless you aren't getting service at your home or office but need to.

Metro PCS has Verizon's number.... Today.....

It is not often the little guy beats the big boys to the punch but today Metro PCS executives can walk the halls with their heads held high. Metro PCS Inc has launched the 4G wireless broadband phone that still has the signature no contract option which makes the small carrier's new device attractive in a LARGE way.

Deposit check on your cellphone!

Now this is cool.

Have you ever felt like you'll never have the time to bring those burdening checks to the bank before they expire? Well fear not.

Now, some banks are allowing you to do this on your cellphone! Simply take a photo of the check and send it off to your band via a bank app and voila! Money in the bank, never been so easy.

"The process is terrifically simple", says one loyal Chase Bank Iphone User.

What makes this so revolutionary? You don't have to go to the branch anymore. Scratch that off the list, just deposit checks from home.

If you're feeling tech savvy enough, you just might never have to go to the bank again. Thank technology for that.

Enjoy,

now go and spend more time where you want to

Cellphone Dryer Box from Japan Will Dry Your Cellphone, Perhaps Save it From Doom

Look out Boulder; Cellular Recycler has one of the cell phone driers on back order from Japan. We will soon be able to speed up repair time and save labor cost for customers who have inadvertently gotten their phone wet.

This little gizmo will further our cause for reusing all electronics that pass through the doors of our company.

3 Reasons Why a Ban on E-waste Exports is Wrong

Although electronic waste can be harmful to people and the enviornment, banning it outright can have negative impacts too. Discovery News has flipped the coin and given three insightful reasons how electronics are put to use in developing countries who desparately need thier economy stimulated by advancing communication:

1) Trade bans have negative economic and social impacts by cutting jobs in the refurbishment sector and reducing supply to used markets.

2) Trade bans push the backyard recycling toward the black market.

3) Within a decade, more e waste will be generated in the developing world compared to the developed, waste that without other interventions will be recycled with high enviornmental impacts.

Time to unlock those iPhones (legally!)

A recent discussion and law passed on 'digital rights' from the Library of Congress, acknowledging the legitimacy of unlocking and jailbreaking cellphones.

Even now, Apple frowns on the jailbreaking of its iphones by voiding warranties and refusing to help solve technical issues for the customers. However, this 'freeing' of cellphones from parent companies and cellphone service providers is officially a legal activity even though it has never been actually illegal.

This is a great step for the American public towards gaining more upper-hand in the monopolistic battle between the customers and the service providers. Unlike the majority of the world, American providers lock their cellphones for specifically their own service, as opposed to having unlocked phones in which one can freely choose which service to use.

Cellphone recyclers like ourselves will become more valuable as people become more aware of the option to buy any phone and then choose their service.

Attempting to establish a world record

Congratulations to Johnson County in Kansas City Missouri for taking a tough task and putting a unique twist of encouragement to its residents. "Its a good feeling to give your electronic waste a second life" says Betsy Betros, the counties director of pollution control. "Technology is not going to stop, and we don't want it to. But we do have finite resources. Threes only one planet Earth'. Johnson County submitted results of their four tractor loads to the Guinness Book of records and are waiting to hear the result

Curing Cancer One Cell Phone at a Time

The Notre Dame office of Sustainibility is collecting cell phones for the American Cancer Society:

Cellphones go 3D!

Televisions sets, movie theaters and now Cellphones! The world is going 3D, leaving behind a once adored 2D, simple life.
With new technology that can actually keep track of which eye is looking at the screen, software engineers have discovered how to create video games and movies for handheld devices that targets each eye. When you send a slightly different screen to each eye, you create 3D, or rather depth perception.
Leading the game is Nokia and Hitachi, who have already produced 3D phones and are working on advancing the idea. These developers believe 2011 will bring 3D full circle in all forms of modern technology and soon become a norm for our society.
This advance, once again, will yield a whole generation of cellphones rendered useless by some but goldmines for others. Visit Cellular Recycler for more info.

Texting madness and revolution

Remember the days when you just used your phone to talk to people?

Those days are long gone, and now, simply history.

A recent study showed that 'texting' amongst teenagers has risen over %20 in the past 3 years.

Talking on their phones less and less, the next generation has fully embraced sending text and pictures messages over more traditional forms of communication.

Minority groups seem to be in the lead when it comes to paying for Internet access on their children's phones.

Our retail store has a higher demand for full keyboard (QWERTY) phones than any other type of cellphone. This appears to be a rather abrupt and recent phenomenon. Once you have the computer-esq keyboard in your hands, there is no going back. All new phones will incorporate full keyboards and push the innovative trail further for discovering more and better ways to 'text'.

For electronics recyclers like us, it is hard to keep up with the shift of interest. What are we to do with all the 'old fashioned' phones that just have numbers?

Well, there are still quite a few of us from the 'older' generation still quite content with how our phones work.

Brain Cancer and Cellphone Use Study Completed

A study funded by the European Union and the cellphone industry has just completed it's 13-country study on whether cellphone use can be linked to increased risk for brain tumors.

The report called Interphone, concluded with researchers claiming they found no substantial evidence to link the two together.

However, many critics and scientists agree; with increased use among the younger generation, more studies will need to be conducted.

The question comes to mind how much influence the 'cellphone industry' had over how the scientists were supposed 'interpret' the data. If the study came to definitively show that cellphone use is linked to the development of brain cancer, I believe there would be an uproar from the public and we would see a noticeable drop in the amount of cellphone use.

It is scary to think sometimes how little we actually know about the technologies we use and their ultimate effects on our lives.

Hopefully a new innovation for communication will lead to less radiation exposure.

Federal Communications Commission to create bill to warn of high cellphone bills

A common symptom of the American cellphone 'contract' is what we like to call ' bill shock '. You sign up for what you think is a good deal with companies like Verizon, T-mobile, AT&T in hopes of saving money. But once you're locked into your contract, crazy things can happen... Like excessive roaming or data charges that you were unaware of; sometimes in the hundreds of dollars.

BUT, alas, the F.C.C. is seeking to create a bill that will require these cellphone companies to warn customers before enacting outrageous roaming charges.

Perhaps this will revive some of the growing population that is fed up with contracts and the companies that are selling them. Either way it is time for these companies to be more responsible and sensible in how they treat their customers.

Top Cell Phone by Carrier

Ginny Miles from PC World has given us an in depth look at the top 5 phones from the top 4 US Carriers.
"Shopping for a cell phone can be overwhelming; after all, these devices do a whole lot more than just make phone calls. So which Carrier has the best selection of phones"?

Top 5 Verizon Phones

Top 5 T-Mobile Phones

Top 5 AT&T phones

Top 5 Sprint Phones

You have to pay attention to these phone models as they will pave the way in two to three years for the phones that Cellular Recycler will be recycling and re selling all over the world. What was yesterdays RAZR is today's Droid and iPhone.

Credit Card Transactions via CellPhones

You're at your local Farmer's market and see that beautiful sweet corn you'd like to grill tonight. But... you don't have any cash? Instead of asking around to find the nearest ATM, chances are you can run your credit card through the farmer's cellphone.

Companies are sprouting up daily that have easy to use plug-ins or software that allow credit card transactions on cellphones. How many times have you split the bill with your friend, but don't have the cash on the spot and end up forgetting about it? Now you can just run your credit card effortlessly between phones.

Square, PayPal and GoPayment all offer services now, usually with a monthly fee and per-transaction fee to mobilize your credit card payments.

The move away from cash has been steady and still has its resistors, but with the increase of smartphone use we can see this transition gain momentum and push us into the paper free future. The next generation will hardly know who's on the dollar bill anymore.

Cellphones have been rising in status for the past few decades and are approaching their zenith as the all-in-one device. This is a plus for recycling companies like us, whose role in society will increase with cellphone acceptance.

PREPAY vs. CONTRACT

A paradigm shift for cellphone service is occurring this year. The pre-dominant method of buying cellphone service in America has been to go to your local Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile or Sprint store and buy a phone at an extremely discounted price with an attached 2-year contract with that company (that has the actual price of the phone built in).

With the recent downturn of the economy, more people have been looking to get out of that contract and hop on a monthly service that they can easily change and end at will.

"This week, both AT&T and Verizon Wireless reported steep declines in the number of customers who signed up for contracts during the first quarter of 2010."

Will these largest corporations start to incorporate prepaid more into their plans? Either way, this opens a lot of doors for selling used phones, as people are also seeking cheaper phones that are not subsidized by their service provider.

We expect this change of how American cellphone companies operate will bring about great things in years to come, especially for us, the customer.

HTC EVO to be the first 4G phone

This summer, Sprint will release its first ever 4G android phone.
Long awaited, the next step in cellphone internet connections has arrived. What excites me is the HD video capabilities and the 8megapixel camera. Up until now, video on phones has been slow, and uploading high quality video instantly impossible.

Now you can stream your video straight to the internet/facebook/myspace/whatever as you're doing it and do it in High definition. Now that's cool. Who would have thought the day would come where you could have a high def camera and video camera in your phone and have it instantly connected to the internet?
"With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G allows up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience. Users can easily share an Internet connection on the go with a laptop, camera, music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device.

With integrated HD video capture and 4G speeds, HTC EVO 4G makes slow uploads and grainy video a thing of the past. Now, it is possible to post high-quality video to YouTube™ or Facebook, or share moments in real time over the Internet live, via Qik"


The data capability of phones is accelerating and it will soon be true that you can do just about anything you want on your phone.
So, I would hold off before buying that iphone or Nexus One and see what kind of surprises the cellphone industry has for this summer.