Cellphones are an Eco-waste Problem - Report

A new report from the environmental study group, Inform has suggested that by 2005, 130 million cellphones will be replaced each year in the USA alone, leading to problems with an environmentally friendly disposal. Cell phones are typically used for only 18 months before being replaced, and by 2005 about 130 million of these devices, weighing approximately 65,000 tons, will be retired annually in the US. Most of them will initially be stored away in closets and drawers, creating a stockpile of about 500 million used phones that will soon enter the waste stream.

Wireless waste poses particularly acute problems when these small devices are sent to landfills or incinerators, where releases of the many toxic materials they contain create threats to human health and the environment.

"Because these devices are so small, their environmental impacts might appear to be minimal," said Bette Fishbein, INFORM Senior Fellow and report author. "But the growth in their use has been so enormous that the environmental and public health impacts of the waste they create are a significant concern. Now is the time to address them."

The report has called for the use of toxic substances in cell phones - particularly lead and brominated flame retardants - to be reduced. Manufacturers in Europe and Japan have already eliminated lead and brominated flame retardants from electronic products or have announced plans to do so. In the European Union, a forthcoming directive will require the phase-out of these substances in products made or marketed in the EU. US companies are developing alternatives to lead and brominated flame retardants but have made no commitments to eliminate them from products. Many US electronics producers, and the industry's main trade associations, continue to lobby against bans on these substances, arguing that the available alternatives would not perform as well and may be even more damaging to the environment.

The report also says that US manufacturers should implement effective take-back programs for cell phones. An effective program includes targets for collection and reuse/recycling, reporting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms. Most voluntary take-back initiatives for cell phones and/or other electronic equipment in the US lack all of these crucial components. It may be worth noting that several cellphone networks in the USA "recycle" handsets for use by local charities as emergency use only handsets - although the numbers of handsets involved are small.

Inform's study documents efforts in Europe, Japan, and Australia to deal with this fast-growing waste stream. For example, Australia has implemented the world's first and only nationwide take-back program dedicated to recovering and recycling cell phones. In the European Union (EU), pending directives will require electronics manufacturers to phase out toxic components and take responsibility for waste generated by products marketed in the EU. And forthcoming design guidelines in Japan will result in more long-lasting and recyclable electronic products with fewer toxic components. In the US, no such national commitments have been made.'"

Posted to the site on 8th May 2002