NEW YORK—By 2005, 130 million wireless devices, weighing in at a total of 65,000 tons, will be discarded annually in the United States, according to “Waste in the Wireless World: The Challenge of Cell Phones,” a new study from Inform, a national environmental research group.
The study makes several recommendations regarding both the design of cell phones and the disposal of them. Regarding the design of cell phones, the study recommends first that the use of toxic substances in them, namely lead and brominated flame-retardants, should be reduced. The study also suggests that worldwide network and device standardization should be implemented, so users are not forced to purchase new phones upon changing service providers or for travel. Finally, it says phones and accessories should be designed for disassembly, reuse and recycling.
As for disposal recommendations, the study suggests manufacturers implement take-back programs for used phones and financial incentives be implemented encouraging consumers to return phones for collection and reuse or recycling. The study adds that rechargeable batteries should be a target for take-back because they are particularly toxic. Finally, the study says that if and when disposable wireless phones, which would quickly produce large amounts of waste, are introduced, take-back programs should be already in place.
According to Inform, efforts are under way in Europe, Japan and Australia to combat waste left by cellular devices, and while the United States has yet to implement federal legislation on the topic, several states are considering measures for managing waste generated by wireless devices.
