Skyrocketing Worldwide Sales of New Cell Phones Will Present a Significant Environmental Challenge for Years to Come
But the CEO of a company that recycles and re-markets old cell phones says people have options for dealing responsibly with their old phones.
OCALA, Fla. (PRWEB) July 28, 2005 -- With mobile phone sales projected to
exceed one billion by 2009, the challenge of what to do with the old handsets
they replace becomes more critical, the CEO of a company that recycles and
re-markets old cell phones said today.
"We are already becoming more and
more aware of the dangers of sending so many old cell phones to landfills, where
they represent a serious pollution hazard," said James Mosieur, chief executive
officer of RMS Communications Group Inc. "But the projections for new cell phone
sales throughout the remainder of the decade are staggering – they tell us that
we are going to have to be very serious about the environmental implications of
electronic waste."
According to a study released by the research group
Gartner, the cell phone is about to become the single most common consumer
electronics device, with around 2.6 billion people using cell phones by the year
2009. Gartner projects that 1.04 billion cell phones will be sold in that year,
compared to about 779 million sold this year.
"The mobile phone is the
most prolific consumer device on the planet," said Ben Wood, a Gartner
analyst.
Gartner's initial projection for 2005 was 29 million phones
fewer than the 779 million figure. The company changed its projection upward
because of stronger-than-expected sales, much of them driven by strong demand in
developing markets and by consumers replacing old handsets with more
sophisticated models.
While the sales projections are sobering from an
environmental point of view, Mosieur is optimistic that pollution from e-waste
need not become a serious problem as long as the public becomes increasingly
aware of the options available for re-using and recycling old cell
phones.
"While there is a huge market for new cell phones with all the
latest features and capabilities, there is also a tremendous market throughout
the world for used cell phones that may not have all the latest features but
which are still serviceable and which provide wireless communications at low
cost," Mosieur said. "That means many used cell phones have good market value
and can be sold to companies like ours."
Mosieur's company pays cash for
used cell phones. Phones that do not have market value are accepted anyway and
are recycled in an environmentally responsible fashion.
Some of the used
cell phones are donated to law enforcement agencies and social service agencies
for use as 911 emergency phones.
RMS Communications Group Inc., a
Florida-based company, has been in the used cell phone recycling business since
the mid-1990s. It operates a number of web sites that people can use to sell
their old phones: www.WirelessFundraiser.com, which helps non-profit
organizations gather and sell old phones for cash; www.CellForCash.com, for
consumers; and www.RecycleForUS.com, a national environmental
initiative.
About RMS Communications Group Inc.
Based in Ocala, Fla.,
RMS Communications Group Inc. provides consumers and businesses a convenient way
to get cash for cell phones that otherwise lay idle. Phones may qualify
regardless of manufacturer – Motorola, Nokia, LG, etc.; or service provider -
Sprint, Verizon, Cingular, T-Mobile, etc. The company often partners with
non-profit organizations that find the collection and sale of old cell phones to
be an excellent source of revenue. More information can be found at http://www.RMSComm.com.
#
# #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb265877.htm