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Recycled Cell Phones and PDAs Earn Global Cooling ‘Carbon Credits’

Unique “RecyCool” Program Helps Reduce Global Warming, Offset the Effects of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Recycle Unwanted Cell Phones, Smartphones, PDAs and Handheld Devices

RecyCool makes it easy and affordable for any business, event or organization to reduce or eliminate its climate impact by recycling used mobile phones.

RecyCool captures pre-owned cell phone value for reuse and lets partners and participants exchange this value for certified carbon offsets to help:
• Lighten their carbon footprint
• Combat climate change
• Reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions

The burning of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gasses that trap heat, creating a greenhouse effect that is warming the Earth.  Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing global society. We all need to make every effort to reduce our emissions as much as we can and to offset the remainder. As Carbonfund.org says: “Reduce What You Can, Offset What You Can’t™”.

While we can all change our habits and activities to reduce our carbon footprint, there is only so much we can reduce. That’s where carbon offsets can help. Carbon offsets are simple. We are all responsible for harmful carbon dioxide emissions, whether through driving, flying in an airplane, heating and cooling our homes and offices, watching TV, running a business, or going to a concert. Carbon offsets represent the act of reducing an equal amount of carbon elsewhere in the world to counterbalance the carbon emissions from our own energy-using activities (our “carbon footprint"). By supporting projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions, carbon offsets enable us to reduce our climate impact and balance out the carbon footprint left by our emissions.

The RecyCool Program provides two smart and simple ways to earn carbon credits with recycled cell phones, smartphones, and PDAs in order to help reduce our carbon footprint and work towards becoming carbon neutral:

‘Ten-For-A-Tonne’: Collects used wireless devices donated by consumers and community members as part of a concert, conference, or event, at a drop-off location, at an office recycling day, or from a door-to-door collection campaign. A carbon offset of 1 tonne is earned for every 10 functional digital phones recovered.

Handset Exchange For Climate Change:  This program is designed for enterprises, businesses, government offices, and departments and large organizations that often have large quantities of late-model phones that are regularly upgraded or replaced. Owners and managers can receive substantial carbon offsets in exchange for these late-model wireless handsets, depending on the specific make, model, and condition of the phones. A high reuse value means that a single handset could earn as much as 1, 2 or 3 tonnes (or more) of carbon offset, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of business operations and activities.

“The Wireless Source, Canada and affiliates are very concerned about global warming. Considering the implications of climate change, carbon offsets through Carbonfund.org are a natural extension of our work in the pre-owned wireless telecommunications handset recovery, remanufacture and reuse sector,” said Gordon Weis, President of The Wireless Source, Canada. “The RecyCool Program establishes our businesses as environmental leaders and demonstrates the proactive steps we are taking in the fight against global climate change.”

“We are extremely excited to partner with The Wireless Source, Canada and its affiliates PhoneBack Canada, The Charitable Recycling Program, and Wireless CellBack in the development of the first-of-its-kind RecyCool Program,” said Eric Carlson, Founder and Executive Director of Carbonfund.org. “By recovering and recycling pre-owned cell phones—things everyone has, doesn’t want anymore, but doesn’t know what to do with—many groups, activities, events, and businesses can easily help reduce their carbon footprint, strive for carbon neutrality, and combat climate change at little or no cost.”

The RecyCool Program is a unique and effective ‘triple sustainability’ initiative for all Canadians
Environmental Responsibility … Social Responsibility … Financial & Global Climate Responsibility

About The Wireless Source, Canada

The Wireless Source, Canada (TWSC), the Canadian division of The Wireless Source—a global leader in the reuse and recycling of mobile devices—specializes in used and pre-owned cell phone remanufacturing and remarketing. Services include reverse logistics, recovery, trade-in, rebate, and recycling programs for the ‘wireless’ industry (dealers, carriers, and handset OEMs) as well as for businesses, retailers, charities, and consumers. Through our sister enterprise, PhoneBack Canada, we also provide The Charitable Recycling Program, which enables cell phone recycling and fundraising for local charities, community activities, and groups and businesses. PhoneBack Canada is also the ‘enabling’ partner for several privately branded national recycling programs.  An additional program, Wireless CellBack, is strategically designed to recover pre-owned, late-model devices using a make/model value database for organizations, enterprises, and wireless retailers and dealers.

The Wireless Source, ISO 14001 certified for environmental management and assurance, is one of a handful of full-service, vertically integrated cell phone recycling companies and stands among the largest of such companies in North America. Testing, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and remarketing are done ‘in-house,’ with complete chain of custody and assurance of information security and responsible handset disposition.
http://www.TheWirelessSource.ca http://www.CharitableRecycling.ca http://www.WirelessCellBack.com

About Carbonfund.org

Established in 2003, Carbonfund.org is one of North America’s oldest and leading carbon reduction and offset organizations, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses, and organizations to reduce their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects where they are most cost effective. “Reduce What You Can, Offset What You Can’t™”.

Carbonfund.org has worked with hundreds of corporate and non-profit partners including the Consumer Electronics Association, Discovery, Volkswagen, Dell, Orbitz, JetBlue Airways, Environmental Defense, Lancome, Amtrak, Allstate, Staples, Earthwatch Institute, National Wildlife Federation, Social Venture Network, Green Building Council, and many more.
http://www.carbonfund.org

For more information, contact:

The Wireless Source, Canada
Name: Gordon Weis
Title: President
Email:
Phone: (905) 830-9010

Carbonfund.org
Name: Russell Simon
Title: Communications Manager
Email:
Phone: 240-334-2681

Reference Information: Some Facts About Used & Pre-Owned Cell Phones & Reuse

Everyone Has One …....
Today, over 20 million Canadians subscribe to wireless telecommunications services – double the number since just 2000. Handset functions and features – email, cameras, colour, web access, mobile banking, and service plans are changing so rapidly that many users replace their wireless handsets as often as once a year and, on average most of us get a new phone every 24 to 30 months. With the iPhone, new Blackberry smartphones, and mobile video-enabled devices arriving quickly, these replacement cycles are expected to grow shorter in the coming years.

No One Knows What To Do With Them …….
Almost 10 million wireless handsets are replaced in Canada each year and only a small percentage are currently reused. While some used handsets are passed down to family members or kept for ‘back-up,’ and a few are recycled with carriers or contributed as charitable donations, most are tossed in the closet or left at the back of a desk drawer only to be thrown in the garbage a few months or years later. Not only is this harmful to our environment (heavy metals and toxic materials in circuit boards and electronic components ultimately leach into our water and soil), it is also a huge waste of energy and non-renewable resources consumed in the original manufacture of the cell phone and a huge waste of value in the phones’ reuse potential. Each year 8 to 9 million handsets are replaced instead of recovered, and 30 to 50 million more phones continue sitting in storage!

They Are Valuable & Reusable
The handsets that Canadians choose to throw out or replace are frequently ‘late-model’ phones that could be reused for prepaid services in North America or adopted in developing countries and emerging wireless markets such as those in South America, Africa, and Asia where wireless communication growth is doubling almost every year.  Late-model, pre-owned wireless handsets from Canada have significant value in these markets where they can enable affordable communications to increase commerce and personal income and to help improve safety and security.

And Should Not Be Tossed In The Trash
Mobile phones contain numerous substances, including heavy metals in components and circuits and flame-retardants in plastic cases and circuit boards, which need to be disposed of in a safe and efficient manner. For example:
a. The cadmium in a single battery from an old phone could seriously contaminate 600,000 liters of water, enough to fill a third of an Olympic size swimming pool.  Cadmium is being phased out of new batteries, but many other poisonous materials remain.
b. Lead, which affects the immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems, is used to solder components to the printed wiring boards.

Mobile Phone Recycling
Mobile phones returned to The Wireless Source are evaluated for reuse.  Reusable units have personal and stored data. Files and information removed and are tested and/or remanufactured for redistribution. Those phones that cannot be reused are sent to an end-of-life mobile phone smelter, where the device is broken down into various components for recycling and metal recovery.

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