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.

Cell Phone Shipments Down 20% in 2009

With out a doubt Matt Richtel from the New York Times hit the nail on the head in his recent article "This Old Phone? Good Enough for Me." People in this challenging economic downturn, if that is what you want to call it, are pinching everywhere they can. And ultimately, a phone is a phone is a phone. If it dials out and can send a text, then it is probably good enough for today.

For cell phone recyclers and wholesalers, at least for the time-being this seems to mean that sales of used equipment are up. One thing we've noticed is that a lot of people are turning to pre-paid phones - in some cases we've seen sales from pre-paids quadruple from Q4 2008. Going month-to-month is a safe and easy change for people who have lost their job or who are insecure about committing that extra year contract.

Whether 2009 has you buying a brand-new iPhone or hanging onto that old piece with the cracked screen and duct-tape, I hope manufacturers and carriers are looking into their crystal balls to see how they can help consumers through this recession and prepare us all for a more positive outlook in 2010.

Party for the Planet for E-Waste Recyclers

Pay attention to this event and it is two fold smart. Not only is the San Francisco Zoo holding a electronics recycling drive for for free admission, it is giving discounts for those who ride their bicycles. Events such as these give the choice in two different but equally important ways to contribute to be eco friendly while at the same time running a great promotion to sell tickets for their zoo.

The San Francisco Zoo will be having a “Party for the Planet” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow, which includes a self-guided scavenger hunt, green-themed music and puppet performances, and a sneak preview of Disneynature's Earth.

Attendees bicycling to the event will receive $2 off admission, and those who drive and recycle their electronics at the event's e-waste collection site on Herbst Road from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will receive one free admission per car.

Making it Convenient to be Green

Thought you might want to see a featured piece on Cellular Recycler from Handset & Accessory magazine this month. I don’t know if you guys are on-line subscribers so click here to view the full article.

Maine Adopts Cell Phone Recycling Law

Following California and New York, Maine became the third state in the U.S. to put a cell phone recycling law in place effective January 1, 2008. This law, closely following California's Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004, requires retailers who sell cellular phones to provide a free cell phone recycling option to their customers. Starting January 1, 2009 retailers will be required to report how many phones were collected to the Maine division of the EPA.


For years now there has been a trend of state legislatures addressing E-scrap issues by passing laws requiring manufacturers to take back their own products when they've reached their end of life (here is a great site that is keeping track of who's doing what). However, cell phones are getting special treatment because of the value they carry in their second life. Private companies across America have proved for years that cell phone recycling is a profitable venture, and local governments are taking notice.

By making cell phone recycling a law, local legislatures are giving the economy as well as the environment a boost, as the more cell phones there are to be recycled, the more new jobs get created to process those cell phones.

EPA Press Release: Recycle Your Cell Phone. It's an Easy Call.

The EPA recenty issued a press release more specifically addressing cell phone recycling. The EPA's Plug-In to eCycling program, a partnership between the EPA and electronics manufacturers has been in existance for a number of year now, but it appears that the EPA has decided to put an emphasis on the cell phone recycling component.

Reasons for this may be due to the sustainable nature of cell phone recycling, as there is a large market for old phones which helps cover the costs of cell phone recycling and in some cases can even net in a profit.

How does cell phone recycling raise money for Non-profits?

As seen in my previous post, the vast majority of cell phones that are turned into cell phone recycling companies are candidates for re-use. Cell phone recyclers re-sell these phones to refurbishing companies who will take the old phone and perform any cosmetic/functional repairs to make it ready for the end consumer. Part of the sale price to the refurbishing company is paid out to the non-profit or individual who turned in the phone. The price a non-profit or individual gets for a recycled phone varies greatly depending on the phone turned in and the company who it was turned into.
In general, newer phones are worth more money (some upwards of $100), however if your recycling a box of old phones you should look for an average of $2-$3 per phone.

Greenpeace Article

Greenpeace recently wrote an article about where e-waste ends up. It's a great flowchart of the world's trash - and why it is even more important to recycle e-waste.