| Press
Release - December 14,
2007 |
 |
 |
|
Making it
Easier to Recycle Cell Phones
New Partnership Increases opportunities to Keep
California Beautiful.
December 14,
2007, Sacramento, Calif. (PRWEB). - Keep California
Beautiful (KCB) in partnership with American Wireless, and
The Wireless Alliance has developed a program to provide cell
phone recycling opportunities throughout California. The partnership
already has expanded the existing cell phone recycling program
developed by KCB and the Wireless Alliance to include drop
off locations at 300 of the nearly 1000 dealerships associated
with American Wireless with additional locations to be added.
This program will begin immediately, in time for the holiday shopping
season when many replace old cell phones. The recycler, The Wireless
Alliance will provide collection boxes free of charge to all distributor
locations associated with American Wireless. Consumers may contact
The Wireless Alliance to find a location nearby by calling toll
free (866) 366-5791 and providing their zip code. If you are a
wireless retailer in California, this recycling program allows
compliance with AB 2901 and offers additional promotional benefits.
According to Christine Flowers-Ewing, Executive Director of Keep
California Beautiful, “the organization supports the recycling
of cell phones in this manner because consumers need options to
dispose of their cell phones and accessories in an environmentally
sound way which is convenient. The bonus is that with retail locations
providing collection opportunities and our web based program it
is easier than ever to recycle cell phones.”
Over 240 million Americans have a cell phone and every year an
estimated 150 million cell phones go into closets, desk drawers
and worse, in the trash while over 100 million wireless phones
will be discarded this year! However, wireless phones can be redistributed,
refurbished or recycled - almost every part of a wireless phone
is recyclable!
“Cell phones contain harmful metals that can pollute the
environment and threaten our health. By properly recycling cell
phones, they can be reused, decreasing the need for new metal mining”,
said Margo Reid Brown, Chair for the California Integrated Waste
Management Board. “This program will ease the burden on
consumers and help us protect our environment.”
Recycling your phone costs you nothing and contributes to the
well-being of our planet. A cell phone can be harmful to the environment
if thrown into the trash. It contains materials such as lead, arsenic,
nickel, cadmium, and other materials which can pollute the ground
and water. One cell phone, tossed into a landfill, can pollute
up to 40,000 gallons of groundwater!
Keep California Beautiful is raising funds by collecting cell
phones and helping the environment by keeping cell phones out of
landfills. All materials are repurposed in a zero waste, environmentally-conscious
manner. The cell phone recycling guarantees personal information
is destroyed. Proceeds benefit Keep California Beautiful and support
our cleanup, recycling and beautification projects across the state.
Individuals who recycle their phones through this program will
receive a certificate of appreciation.
During the next year Keep California Beautiful will be working
to help promote environmental education messaging and public outreach
supporting the need to affect public perception and individual
responsibility regarding the recycling of cell phones as the current
recycling rate for cell phones is approximately 5%.
About Keep California Beautiful
Keep California Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful,
is a nonprofit environmental organization. KCB’s mission
is to promote individual responsibility for California’s
environment through source reduction, litter prevention, recycling,
and beautification. KCB pursues this mission by developing public/private
partnerships at the state level as a way to provide necessary
resources to local communities. For more information on our programs
please visit www.cleanca.org
About American Wireless
As a division of The Brix Group Inc. (founded in 1971 by Harry
Brix), and recognized as the first and one of the largest Wireless
Master Agents in North America, American Wireless serves as a
critical intermediary between wireless carriers and independent
retailers. Ultimately this large retail network made up of independent
wireless dealers serves the wireless consumer and business user.
American Wireless is headquartered in Campbell, California and
has a nationwide distribution and sales footprint. With offices,
infrastructure and a sales force throughout the United States
(including distribution in parts of Mexico and Canada), American
Wireless facilitates the distribution of wireless products and
services for specific carriers and manufacturers such as Sprint,
Verizon Wireless, Dish Network TV, Sirius Satellite Radio, Helio,
Boost Mobile, Motorola and more. The American Wireless independent
dealer-store and sales channel generates a significant portion
of the industry's annual revenue for cell phones (postpaid and
prepaid), satellite television and radios, GPS devices, voice
and data activation services, and hardware and accessories.
About The Wireless Alliance
The Wireless Alliance is a cellular phone recycling company and
your source for new and used cellular equipment. They constantly
strive to bring integrity, reliability, and great customer service
to the wireless phone recycling industry. As a wholesaler of
used, new, and refurbished equipment we sell between 50-60,000
phones per month. They collect and distribute every cell phone
technology including CDMA, TDMA, Analog, and GSM. They take pride
in successfully liquidating overstocked, obsolete, and used phone
inventories. Let us help you turn useless inventory into cash
or find the product you need for refurbishing. The Wireless Alliance
works with manufacturers, wireless carriers, recyclers and non-profit
organizations to collect, resell and recycle cellular equipment.
All equipment is repurposed in a zero waste, environmentally-conscious
manner. Since 2001, The Wireless Alliance has reclaimed over
500 tons of wireless equipment from landfills, contributing to
a cleaner and safer environment.
About The California Integrated Waste Management Board
The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) is the
State's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction promoting
a zero waste California in partnership with local government,
industry, and the public. This means reducing waste whenever
possible, promoting the management of all materials to their
highest and best use, and protecting public health and safety
and the environment.
Media Relations/Analyst Contacts
Christine Flowers-Ewing
Keep California Beautiful
Phone: (916) 368-9301
cflowers@cleanca.org
Steve Schnittker
Sr. Manager of Marketing, American Wireless
Phone: 408-874-4821
sschnittker@americanwireless.com
Eileen Quinn
American Wireless
858.689.4705 or 858.774.1792
Eileen.quinn@sbcglobal.net
 Back
to top
|
