Life after death for mobile phones
By Pia Heikkila
Friday, January 3, 2003 Posted: 3:36 AM EST (0836 GMT)
cnn.com
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Mobile phone makers are stepping up recycling efforts in an attempt to reduce the growing electronic waste mountain.
Major producers like Nokia, Ericsson and Siemens have signed an agreement promising to make their handsets easier to recycle and ensure consumers know how best to dispose of old phones.
The scheme targets millions of Europeans who either keep outdated models in a drawer as spares or throw them in the bin.
Phone makers are constantly introducing new models and the average age of a handset is about 18 months. The EU estimates that in the UK alone, 15 million discarded phones were kept in homes last year.
The EU has also introduced an electronic waste directive for member states this year. It will force manufacturers to take back old products for recycling.
The directive applies to all electrical goods, including televisions, fridges, DVDs and computers. Currently only 10 percent of these "consumer durables" are recycled in Europe.
Most mobile phones are made mainly from plastic and metal, most of which can be recycled, while fully functioning phones can be resold.
"The plastic cover can be melted then remoulded into park benches or other durable hard plastic items," said Aki Itänen from Finnish recycling firm Ekokem.
The phone's battery, usually made of lithium or nickel, can be recycled too, according to Itänen. "We can reuse about 60 to 80 percent of the battery, mainly the metallic part, depending on the age and quality of the phone."
The wiring board contains potentially toxic substances like gold, lead and zinc. Itänen said: "These metals, once separated from the board, can be melted for reuse by the electronic industry."
But many older phones which contain chemicals like cadmium can have a devastating effect on humans and animals if they are thrown away to disintegrate and the toxins enter food chains.
The EU estimates that the cadmium from a single phone could pollute 600,000 litres of water.
But many people do not see their phone as a recyclable item, says Peter Hine, from Mobile Takeback Forum, a UK-based industry group.
"People either think the phone is worth something or have some sort of sentimental value attached to it.
"It is essential old phones are returned to the retailer who will then have the expertise and knowledge to send them to the recycler.
"Recycling is a shared responsibility between the manufacturer and consumer. It is up to all parties to ensure phones propose a minimal risk to the environment."
Many firms say they are already doing their bit for the environment.
Nokia says it has had a trade-old-for-new policy for years. "There are regional variations in Europe ... but most of our resellers will accept old phones for recycling," said a spokeswoman.
"Many operate on a cash-back or trade old-for-new too." |
