ARKANSAS (KFSM) -- A lot of us have old phones and accessories cluttering up our junk drawers, and Wednesday (Jan. 27) is International Mobile Phone Recycling Day.
Kimberly Jean Misener with Verizon Wireless came to visit with 5NEWS This Morning on the importance of recycling your old cell phones.
It will help prevent poisoning the earth.
Mobile phones contain harmful materials, such as arsenic, lead, and mercury – especially their batteries. Throwing your old phone away usually means it ends up in landfill, where the harmful materials would be free to harm the environment and cause serious dangers.
You could preserve precious natural resources.
Your phone may no longer be working, but it does not mean that all of its parts are useless. Many phones still have components such as copper, silver, gold, and palladium that are worth preserving and recycling.
It could help a domestic violence victim.
• Verizon is a longtime advocate of domestic violence victims and the agencies that support them.
• Through Verizon's HopeLine program, we collect used mobile phones from any carrier, refurbish them and donate them to shelters and support organizations.
• Nationwide,they have collected more than 11 million phones – nearly 200,000 were donated to domestic violence victims.
• Verizon has also awarded nearly $30 million in cash grants to domestic violence organizations. http://www.verizon.com/about/responsibility/hopeline
• The HopeLine program has helped many victims right here in Arkansas. In fact, the Fort Smith Crisis Intervention Center and the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter are one of many HopeLine grant recipients in Arkansas.
How can 5NEWS viewers donate their old mobile phones to HopeLine?
• You can drop off phones at any Verizon store to donate to the program.