Did you just get a new cell phone? Are you wondering what to do with the old one? Rather than adding it to your growing collection of unwanted mobile phones, recycle it!

In 2007, approximately 14 million Americans recycled their used cell phones. Today, donating or recycling cell phones, PDAs, chargers, and batteries has never been easier.

Click on image above to enlarge     Donating your working cell phone or PDA can benefit your community. When cell phones and accessories are in good working order, some programs donate them to worthy charities or sell them at a discount to those in need.

Recycling cell phones helps the environment by saving energy and keeping usable materials out of landfills. Cell phones and PDAs are made of precious metals, copper, and plastics-all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Recycling conserves these materials so they can be turned into new products.

Where Can I Turn in My Cell Phone for Donation or Recycling?

Cell phone collection programs can be accessed from almost everywhere in the US. Many organizations, such as cell phone manufacturers, retailers, network carriers, charities, and state or local solid waste programs offer cell phone donation and recycling programs.

Drop It Off

Drop off your old cell phone, PDA, cell phone batteries, chargers, or other accessories at one of the retailers or service providers below. Visit the links for detailed drop-off and collection event information.

AT&TBest BuyOffice Depot	Sony EricssonSprintStaples	T-MobileLG ElectronicsVerizon Wireless
Note: EPA does not endorse the commercial services or products of its Plug-In To eCycling partners. All the previous links exit the EPA site .

Mail It In

Mail in your old cell phone, PDA, cell phone batteries, chargers, or other accessories at one of the retailers or service providers below. Visit the links for detailed drop-off and collection event information.

NokiaSprintSamsungT-Mobile	MotorolaLG ElectronicsVerizon WirelessSony Ericsson
Note: EPA does not endorse the commercial services or products of its Plug-In To eCycling partners. All the previous links exit the EPA site .

Top of Page

Learn More

• Before you drop off or mail in your old cell phone, make sure that you have terminated your service contract for the phone and erased any data in the phone.
• To ensure that personal information is cleared from the phone, you can: manually delete all information and remove the SIM card; contact your service provider or phone manufacturer for instructions; or use a data erasing tool such as ReCellular’s Cell Phone Data Eraser
• Go to the CTIA-The Wireless Association’s recycling program Wireless…The New Recyclable^TM  for additional tips to consider when recycling your cell phone.
• Listen to EPA’s podcast on cell phone recycling to learn what happens to your cell phone once it’s recycled and hear answers to common questions.
• Recycle Your Cell Phone. It’s an Easy Call (Flyer) (PDF) (1 pg, 433K, about PDF)

On Saturday, October 1, 2011 the Ojai Valley Green Coalition will hold its third Green Home and Building Tour, with the added bonus of a green home show. Visitors will learn the latest in green building techniques.

Tour brochure pick-up and home show will be at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Ojai Avenue property next to Rotary Community Park and across from Ojai Valley School. Formerly the Ford dealership lot—987 W. Ojai Ave. 

Tour: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Show: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Join us on September 30 for Our VIP Pre-Tour Reception

Contact: coordinator@ojaivalleygreencoaliton.com
or phone (805) 669-8445

Enough talk of dirty fuels, how about some fresh air?  A walk or bike ride can help, even in a big city.

Take New York, not a place one would consider bike friendly. In 2007 Mayor Bloomberg hired Jeanette Sadik-Khan as transportation Commissioner, and since then the number of bike lanes has doubled, with 250 more miles of them. Bike commuters have also doubled in the last decade and more than half a million people regularly ride in Manhattan. Apartment hunters are requesting bike storage  and new buildings are required to have it. Protected bike lanes are in progress, as they are in Chicago and other cities. Next year, New York will launch the largest bike share program in the country, offering 10,000 bikes in 600 locations around the city. In DC, after the recent earthquake, the number of bike share users tripled, while traffic was snarled.

Currently Portland and San Francisco have the highest percentage of bike commuters, Portland being the only one with more than 5%.

How do more bikes and fewer cars improve cities?  Less pollution, less traffic, healthier, thinner people (who may well be happier*),

lower CO2 emissions, less oil used and needed, fewer new parking structures needed.

Still, some demonize bicyclists and programs for increasing them, and we all know that some bike riders are reckless, as are some drivers, who endanger others more by texting and talking on cell phones while barreling along in a ton of steel.  As more people choose to ride and city governments do more to improve the experience, maybe the errant cyclists will at least increase cities’ revenues until they learn safer habits.

-Barbara Hirsch

*http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/06/americas-top-cities-for-bike-commuting-happier-too/240265/

SAVE 15% on our American Clay products through October 31st, 2011

This week only: Receive a discount when you purchase any of the new organic products we are offering by Native - This includes sheets, towels, and blankets!

http://www.livingreen.com/collections/deal-of-the-week/products/towel-set-stripe

Adding to a statement from last week: The National Energy Board of Canada predicts that in 2015 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas will be used to produce 2.2 million barrels of oil (bitumen, actually) from oil sands  PER  DAY. So much gas is required, that building nuclear power plants for tar sands oil production in Canada was considered, currently that plan is on hold.

While the oil sands in Canada are being excavated, using tons of gas and water and leaving toxic ponds in its wake, down here, shale is being fracked for natural gas, also energy, water and chemically intensive, also environmentally dangerous, to produce the same stuff that is needed to get the low grade oil up north.

Here is an all together different relationship between oil and gas. Close to 150 billion cubic meters (times 35.3 for cubic feet) of gas each year is WASTED during oil production through venting and gas flares, globally.  This process has been going on since the 1800s. The oil companies would have had to spend money to contain and transport it, that pesky gas, so instead it is simply burned. This amount is 25% of the annual U.S. consumption, and Canada would need only a fraction of it to produce all the oil they want.

If this is confusing, it’s because it is nonsensical. Perhaps a different energy paradigm is needed.

For just one week, receive a discount when you order Super Clean and Kiss Clean products!

Waste is a big problem in households across America.  Because of the economic problems people are facing and the growing concern about the environment, it is a problem that must be dealt with.  The easiest way to do that is to learn how to reuse items instead of throwing them away.

Plastic Soda Bottles

In many towns these bottles can be taken to a recycling plant and sold for money.  There are other ways they can be reused, too.  Punch several holes along the top side of the bottle.  Attach a hose, and you have a water sprinkler.

With a little creativity and the help of paper mache, children can turn a plastic soda bottle into a cute piggy bank.  Fill it two-thirds of the way up with water and freeze it.  Cover it with a cloth and it makes a convenient ice pack.

Old T-Shirts

Cut old t-shirts in one inch strips going around the shirt.  Hook the strips together and crochet them into a rug.  Another way to use them is to cut them up for cleaning rags.

Plastic Bags

The plastic bags you get at the grocery store can be reused in a number of ways.  They can also be cut into one inch strips, fastened together and crocheted into attractive rugs.  If the bags are not damaged, fold them and take them with you when you go shopping so they can be used again to bag your items.

You can save money by using grocery bags to line the small trash cans in your home.  Drop your bags off at a recycling center or take them to a store that recycles them.  If you have window valences in your home, you can stuff them with grocery bags to make them look fuller.

Toilet Paper Rolls

Instead of just tossing toilet paper rolls in the trash, stuff them with used paper or lint from your dryer, and use them to start a fire in your wood stove.  They make great little gifts or treats for children.  Put some candy inside, wrap them with crepe paper and tie off the ends with ribbon.

Old Blue Jeans

With a little imagination, you can do all kinds of things with old blue jeans.  Use the top part to make a purse.  Undo the seams and create a blue jean skirt.  Cut out large squares, put cotton batting inside and sew them up to make a handy pot holder.

You may not have realized how much money you can save just by reusing things that you already have at home.  The environment benefits, too, because these things are not thrown into landfills across the country.  Use your imagination, and learn how to reuse other items in your home instead of throwing them away.

This week only! Receive a discount on two categories of items: All Rainshow’r products, and Kor & Klean Kanteen water bottles.

http://www.livingreen.com/collections/deal-of-the-week

Eco-friendly, healthy living and energy efficient are words that when combined together equal green design.  As the idea of green living grows, many homeowners are doing what they can to build in a manner that will not harm the environment.  If this is a relative new idea for you, this article will whet your appetite to start incorporating green design into your home.

The first step in green design is to educate yourself on ways to save energy, how to protect the environmental health where you live and on conserving resources.  You can find a lot of information on the internet.  Talk to family and friends and see if you can find anyone in your area who has built their home with green design.  Most of them will welcome the opportunity to show you what they did in their home.

Besides homeowners, talk with professionals like engineers, installers, architects, manufacturers and builders.  Find out what type of materials are available and what the advantages are for each one.  These people can also give you a good idea of what this type of project would cost.

The main goal of green design is made up of three parts:  a healthier living environment for the residents, waste reduction and lower energy usage.  Besides green building materials, there are also green cleaning supplies, housewares and home accessories.  These items do not deplete natural resources, cause health problems due to toxins and chemicals or contribute to pollution.

No longer is it necessary to deplete our forests so homeowners can enjoy tables and countertops.  Many of these are now made from recycled products such as paper, glass, porcelain, mirror, wood from old buildings and even corn.  Recycled paper countertops require much less energy to make, while those made from recycled glass are available in a large variety of colors.

Even cabinet hardware and decorative products for kitchens and bathrooms can be environmentally friendly.  Many are made from recycled cork or glass.  Even naturally polished stones from the ocean can be mounted on stainless steel to provide attractive knobs and handles.

Many tile manufacturers are manufacturing tiles now that are made from between 40 to 98 percent recycled materials.  A variety of companies are using old timey methods to make their tiles in an effort to reduce energy consumption during manufacturing.

Green design is not limited to only these areas.  There are many different options for flooring, carpeting, lighting, furniture, decks, window treatments and appliances that can be included.  Your desires and your pocketbook are the limits.