Recycling your old mobile phone
Wednesday, 25th January 2012
Some of us will have received a new phone at Christmas. What do you do with your old mobile phone when you buy a new one? Some are used by family or friends while others are simply left in a drawer and forgotten.
It is estimated that there are thousands of unused mobile phones lying in homes all over Ireland. A mobile phone is made up of many components. It is important that all of their batteries are disposed of safely; if they are thrown away in your normal household bin they will most likely be sent to a landfill site, causing damage to our environment. This can be avoided it is easy to safely dispose of unwanted mobile phones in a way that protects our environment. Most phone shops will have a recycling point that can accept your old mobile phone. Alternatively, there are a number of charities (such as the Jack and Jill Foundation) that can reuse or recycle your old phone, benefitting both the charity and the environment.
Many of us also have old batteries at home, but are unsure about how to dispose of them. Some households stockpile them, others bring them to Kilbarry Civic Amenity Site for safe disposal, while others put them in their household bin.
Household batteries can be recycled in any shop that sells the same type of battery, regardless of whether you purchase anything in their store. Look out for the blue battery box in a shop near you. WEEE Ireland is hoping to encourage more people to collect waste batteries for recycling in the home and office with the launch of "My Battery Recycling Box". This box is being made available free of charge through participating battery retailers and direct distribution to many homes and schools throughout the country. Once full, the batteries collected in My Battery Recycling Box can be recycled in the following ways:
- Empty it into the larger blue battery box at your local battery retailer
- Bring it to your local recycling centre
- Recycle batteries at WEEE Ireland's special collection events
Compiled by Environmental Services, Waterford City Council. For further information, contact Ella Ryan, Environment Awareness Officer, Menapia Building, The Mall, Waterford. Telephone: 051 849938. Website: http://www.waterfordcity.ie
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