"The U.S. recycled only about 15% of cell phones in 2024, with approximately 150 million phones discarded annually. In California alone, the recycling rate declined to just -only 770,000 phones were collected compared to 5.83 million sold. Globally, about 5.3 billion mobile phones are expected to become e-waste, and only around 20% of post-consumer e-waste makes it to the recycling stream."
"According to the EPA, for every million cell phones recycled: * 35,000 pounds of copper * 772 pounds of silver * 75 pounds of gold * 33 pounds of palladium Recycling 1 million phones can also save enough energy to power approximately 25,000 homes for an entire year. Beyond resource recovery, proper recycling prevents toxic materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic from leaching into soil and groundwater, protecting both ecosystems and human health."
Consumers face constant product turnover as manufacturers release frequent phone upgrades. Phone damage sometimes renders devices irreparable while other defects are fixable, with battery replacement varying widely in difficulty. U.S. phone recycling rates are low: about 15% recycled in 2024 and roughly 150 million phones discarded annually; California collected only 770,000 phones versus 5.83 million sold. Globally about 5.3 billion phones will become e-waste and only ~20% of post-consumer e-waste is recycled. Phones contain precious metals and rare-earth elements whose recovery saves energy and prevents toxic contamination of soil and water. Recycling one million phones recovers significant copper, silver, gold, and palladium and can power roughly 25,000 homes for a year.
Read at Earth911
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