Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Recycle Cell Phones

Aired May 28, 2002 - 08:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Perhaps you are one of those people who wonder how you ever managed to live without a cell phone. In the wireless day today, they're both a blessing and a curse. In terms of technology, it is a short trip from cutting edge to obsolete. And as a result, about 30 million unused cell phones lying around today and discarding them can result in toxic trash, we are told.

Some advice on how to hang up that old phone now, Lauren Young with us from "SmartMoney" magazine.

Good morning to you. Nice to see you after the holiday.

Thirty million, that's a big pile.

LAUREN YOUNG, "SMARTMONEY": And they think it's going to be 120 million by 2005, so there are lots of unused cell phones out there.

HEMMER: We keep on -- we keep on using. OK, what to do then? Donate to charity is your first bit of advice.

YOUNG: I actually think that's probably the best option. There are lots of charities out there, mainly for women who have been victims of domestic violence. They reprogram the phones. They can call 911. There are like town watch, cab drivers are out there driving around reporting, you know, violence to police. And then there are lots of other charities who can -- they can refurbish the cell phones and send them to Latin America.

HEMMER: All good advice there. Three more things we want to put up for our viewers: sell it -- come back to that in a moment -- trade it in, but don't throw it away. Those are the three remaining factors there, one through four.

Who's going to buy it, though, if you sell it?

YOUNG: Sometimes people lose their phones. They don't want to go out and buy a new one. Go on eBay, check around, because there are lots out there. I checked last night. I found a couple of Motorola phones for less than $200 dollars, so it's definitely an option.

HEMMER: Really, eBay does it then?

YOUNG: Yes.

HEMMER: And when you say trade it in, are companies accepting these?

YOUNG: You now have to ask for it.

HEMMER: It depends?

YOUNG: You have to ask for it. It's not something they advertise. Sprint has a deal right now: If you get a new phone and you give yours to a family member or a friend, they'll give you both $30. But remember that you will pay an activation fee if you do buy somebody else's phone, so be careful of that.

HEMMER: Got it. You say don't throw it away. I called it toxic trash. This is a no-no -- why?

YOUNG: Really, really toxic. Landfills, a lot of municipalities don't know how to dispose of these things. They have lead, they have arsenic, they have nickel. They get into the ground water, they get into the soil, especially the batteries are very deadly and dangerous. You have to give it to somebody who knows how to dispose of it. Do not throw it in the trash.

HEMMER: And I guess that point couples with the 30 million lying around. It could be a big pile.

Who's taking them in terms of charities, though -- you mentioned that?

YOUNG: Right. The Wireless Foundation, which is a consortium of all the wireless makers and operators, they will take your cell phones. You can go to a store and give it to them. That Web site is wirelessfoundation.org. Also, Collective Good is another not-for- profit. They will collect your phones, and they do know how to dispose of them responsibly. So it's really important that you do give it to one of them, and please, please don't throw it in the trash.

HEMMER: No.

Are we really upgrading every 18 months?

YOUNG: Every 18 months, people are getting a new cell phone. And keep in mind that if your phone's older than two years and it's not digital, chances are it can't be reprogrammed, but they can recycle it for parts.

HEMMER: Good advice. Thank you, Lauren. Lauren Young, "SmartMoney" Magazine, good to see you here in New York.

YOUNG: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: All right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com