June 8, 2004
Press Release
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Non-profit Offers a Solution to Cell Phone Recycling Law
State legislators in California passed a bill on May 26 requiring cell phone companies to establish programs to recycle old cell phones. If passed by the state senate, phone providers will be forced to offer to recycle their customers’ unused phones.
The assembly passed the bill in response to the high turnover rate of cell phones. Most cell phone users replace their phones every 18 months. When these phones are discarded improperly, landfills are contaminated with lead, mercury, and other toxins.
Groups needing to raise money are already in position to benefit both themselves and the cell phone providers who will be required to recycle phones when this law goes into effect. Phones can be collected and sold to refurbishing companies to raise funds for a group or organization. Phones that cannot be refurbished are recycled properly, so that the cell phone company, the fundraising group, and the environment all benefit.
This system of recycling and refurbishing cell phones stands to produce funding for organizations needing to raise money such as schools, churches, ministries, scout troops, cheerleaders, youth groups and the list goes on.
Many groups wishing to take advantage of this opportunity have already registered with CellFund. CellFund is a free fundraising program that has helped groups raise money since mid-2002. Participants simply collect old cell phones, mail them free of charge to CellFund, and then receive money for each qualifying phone they collect. The process is simple, and groups are already finding the convenience of this fundraiser an ideal way to raise financial support.
CellFund organizers suggest that groups needing to raise money register with CellFund and then contact their local cell phone retailers to partner with them and collect their customers’ old phones. That way, the cell phone company remains in compliance with the new recycling law, with little or no effort on their part, and the profits from the cell phone refurbishing can then be used to help finance the group or organization. For more information about cell phone fundraisers and recycling go to www.cellfund.com.
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