Back in January, Ball State joined forces with the Indiana Recycling Coalition by placing four "E-Collection boxes" around campus in hopes of collecting used cell phones.
Students have long heard about the three "R's": reduce, reuse and recycle. Yet, in the early months of 2004, how many students actually live by such a rule?
According to environmental research group INFORM, 100 million cell phones will be put or thrown away annually by 2005. These phones, on top of countless tons of other consumer electronics, will end up in the world's landfills.
Despite this being the social norm in our "throw-away society," it does not take an ecologist to figure out that the numerous chemicals and materials in these electronics have the potential of entering soil and water supplies.
A few of those materials are arsenic, copper, lead, zinc and biominated flame-retardants. Some students might be oblivious to the hazards these items might pose, let alone want them mixed in with their food and water.
That's something to think about the next time one uses their phone for a late-night pizza call.
The benefits of this project are not just limited to the environment, however. Phones, many of which students purchase at bargain prices, are often refurbished when they are turned in to be recycled. Some might be surprised to hear, in fact, that many cellular phone companies often donate refurbished phones to charity, as opposed to selling them to consumers at discounted prices.
With such varying options, students should be more careful of their technological waste and start thinking more about those around them and their environment. Besides, recycled products can be cheaper in large numbers, so just imagine what that could do for product prices down the road.
However students choose to look at it, they have an important decision to make. That decision is simple: help now or pay for it later.
It is your call.
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