Here are two sad, seemingly unrelated sets of statistics. The first concerns domestic violence in America:
- One out of four American women will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in her life.
- Over 3 million children in the United States are directly affected by domestic violence.
- Each day in the United States, three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner.
(From the National Network to End Domestic Violence)
The other concerns cell phone and electronics recycling:
- By the end of 2009, over 141 million cell phones in the US were ready for “End of Life Management” (recycling or other disposal). Of these, only 11.7 million, or 8 percent, were recycled.
- Americans are almost five times as likely to recycle their old computers and other electronics as they are to recycle their old cell phones.
(From the EPA Office of Solid Waste e-Cycling Center: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/manage.htm )
What does this mean for the overwhelming majority of Americans using cell phones that will one day be replaced by a newer, sharper model? It means that, for those wishing to help victims of domestic violence as well as the environment, a wonderful opportunity exists to make both happen at the same time. And it’s as easy as recycling your old cell phone.
Different domestic violence agencies handle cell phone collections differently. Some organizations distribute the donated phones to the women they serve so that they’ll be able to dial 911 if the need should ever arise. (Another unfortunate fact: victims of domestic violence face the greatest danger immediately after leaving their abusive partners.) For other organizations, old cell phones become a source of income when they are sold to companies that either refurbish and resell the phones or recycle the materials. Either way, recycling that old cell phone that you haven’t used in five years is a great way to make things better for domestic violence survivors who are trying hard to break the cycle of violence as well as for the environment that we all depend on for our most basic needs.
Donate cell phones for a wonderful cause today!
To learn more, contact us.