Dive Brief:
- Kyocera Communications Inc's nationwide cell phone recycling program will provide free shipping containers. San Diego-based SecondWave Recycling will break down the mobile devices to retrieve raw materials.
- According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), almost 2 billion cell phones are purchased by consumers every year. Only 13% of the phones sold are recycled.
- The program will accept cell phones from any brand, with $1 from every 4 phones recycled donated to "Cell Phones for Soldiers," a non-profit dedicated to giving phones to military personnel to use while on duty.
Dive Insight:
Kyocera and Secondwave join other companies who have taken up the task of keeping millions of devices out of landfills. Another benefit of the program is educating people and making them aware of options for discarding phones. "At Kyocera, sustainability has long been a part of how we think and work," said Eric Anderson, senior vice president and general manager of global sales and marketing at Kyocera Communications, in a news release. He added, "By partnering with SecondWave Recycling, Kyocera is able to take action to protect our planet."
