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Abstract-Used consumer electronic products are the fastest especially as consumers discard old electronic products to
growing segment of the U.S. waste stream, and cell phones acquire newer and more powerful models.
(due to short life expectancies) are major contributors. Like The fastest increasing category of consumer
personal computers (PCs), a typical cell phone contains several electronic products is cell phones. Sales of cell phones have
hazardous materials including antimony, arsenic, beryllium, increased by more than 41% since 2000 in the US [6].
cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. Most of the persistent According to some estimates, approximately 250,000 tons of
toxicants in cell phones are found in the printed wire assembly used cell phones could be stockpiled by 2005 [6, 7].1 Even
and liquid-crystal display. It is estimated that a total of 700 though the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet
million cell phones and 325 million PCs could become Association (CTIA) reports that the growth in US cell phone
obsolete in the United States by 2005. In addition, 130 million subscriptions declined from approximately 27% in 2000 to
cell phones and 20 million PCs are retired each year; and more 9.4% in 2002, there are indications that the rate of increase in
than 500 million phones and 240 million personal computers cell phone subscription is about to increase again in the near
are stockpiled. However, the fate of retired cell phones differs future [8].
from that of retired PCs: approximately 70% of retired As they become obsolete, cell phones are often stored
collected cell phones are refurbished and resold (the remaining away before being thrown out in the trash [6, 7]. A similar fate
units are recycled or discarded) whereas only a small awaits PCs: on average; two to three obsolete computers may
percentage of PCs are ever used again. Considerable attention be stored in garages, closets or storage spaces [5, 9].
has been focused at State, national, and international levels to Government researchers estimate that three quarters of all
develop policies that minimize the environmental impacts of computers sold in US are stockpiled, awaiting disposal [4, 5].
electronic waste in general, but there is little consistency By 2005, one cell phone and one computer could become
between the strategies developed in different jurisdictions obsolete for every new cell phone and computer put on the
because trade-offs between economic costs and environmental market [7]. The small size of cell phones makes collection and
benefits are not well understood. This paper presents results of potential recycling of components more likely than for
a survey conducted to better understand the economics of cell computers. According to ReCellular Inc, the recycling
phone recycling. We find that the net cost to recyclers of collection rate of cell phones has increased dramatically.2 It is
collecting each cell phone ($6) far exceeds the estimated cost important to note, however, that the backlog of cell phones
to transport, sort, dismantle, refine, and dispose of hazardous does not seem to be decreasing, which creates potential
and non-hazardous wastes ($0.74) associated with discarded environmental risk [7]. By contrast, the recycling rate for PCs
phones. These results were compared with the collection and is still quite low i.e. 10-11%. In 1998, 20.6 million PC Central
processing cost of PCs for which recycling is typically not Processing Unit (CPUs) and 15.8 million Cathode Ray Tube
profitable. Our findings are informative for formulating better (CRT) monitors became obsolete, but only 2.3 million CPU
policies to manage the end-of-life of consumer electronic and 1.5 million CRT were recycled [10]. To formulate better
products. recycling policies, it is useful to investigate the factors that
most influence the net cost of recycling cell phones and
1. INTRODUCTION computers and to contrast the two. We used structured
Over the last two decades, the rapid pace of technological interviews and surveys to collect data from fifteen private US
innovation has resulted in a broad range of obsolete electronic electronic recycling firms throughout North America, focusing
devices from large household appliances such as refrigerators, on those who have signed a true stewardship electronic
washers and dryers, and air-conditioners to hand-held cellular recycling program in conjunction with members of the
phones, fluorescent lamp bulbs (tubes), stereos, and
computers. Studies conducted in Europe estimate that the 1
These are conservative estimates based on cell phone penetration in the total
quantity of electronic waste is increasing by 3% to 5% per year population. Penetration measures subscribers as a percentage of the total
- almost three times faster than the municipal waste stream [1, population, i.e. the total number of cell phones in use as a percentage of
2, 3]. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency population (Inform, 2002).
2
ReCellular Incorporated was established in 1991 to trade and refurbish
(USEPA) more than 4.6 million tons of electronic waste was wireless equipment, including cell phones and reconditioned mobile phones
disposed of in landfills in the US in the year 2000 [4]; this (http://www.recellular.net/brochure/about.asp).
amount is predicted to grow fourfold in the next few years [5],
5
http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html
3
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/recycle/pledge_signers.htm http://www.cellphonecarriers.com/home-portable-phone-numbers.html
4
http://www.epa.gov/epr/products/eintern.html; http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/NumberPortability/checklist.html
6
http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/#Summary_of_the_WEEE_and_Ro http://www.cawrecycles.org/ (Poison PCs and Toxic TVs: 2002 update).
7
HS_Directives http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,52375,00.html
8
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/2002report.htm