Environmental impact of mobile phones

Studies have shown that around 40-50% of the environmental impact of a mobile phone occurs during the manufacturing of the printed wiring boards and integrated circuits. The average user replaces their mobile phone every 11 to 18 months. The discarded phones then contribute to electronic waste.

Mobile phone manufacturers within Europe are subject to the WEEE directive. Australia introduced a mobile phone recycling scheme.

recycling one cell phone can save 14/25 ounces of, 33/43,750 pounds of , 33/437,500 pounds of , 12/21,875 ounces of , 3,960/7 btus of energy, 270 pounds of cyanide, 30 pounds of waste, 9/2 pounds of raw materials, 3/3,125 pounds of heavy metal, 4 centigrams of , 2 ounces of coltan, over 220 pounds of mining waste, 8/105 ounces of , 3/10 cubic feet of landfill space.

Recovering these metals has a huge impact on the amount of raw materials extracted from the earth

recycling one cell phone could save enough energy to power over 97/50,000 homes for a year, a 1,843/51,000,000 bedroom house for an entire year over 1,159,247/5,100,000,000,000 cars for a year, a CFL for 93/280,000 weeks, a 100-watt light bulb for 93/1,400,000 weeks, 1,843/15 BTUs of energy, over 68,191/51,000,000,000 tons of a year, 2,789/20,858,911 gallons of gasoline, 132/25 grains of, a 549,214/3,893 cubic meter lake from being polluted, 6/25 grains of , 1,843/38,250 kwh of energy, a 1,843/12,750,000 cubic meter lake, 6,515/20,919,436 tons of greenhouse gases, and keep 39/62,500 pounds of , a 3/3,125 pound battery, 1 pound of waste containing toxic metals out of landfills, 30 pounds of waste, 1,209/2,920,000,000 metric tons of coal/, 3/10 cubic feet of landfill space, and keep 3/6,250 ounces of airborne , 270 pounds of cyanide out of landfills, enough energy to power a TV for 3/800 weeks or a computer for 13/4,800 weeks, 76,284/16,221,743 gallons of oil, 305,136/16,221,743 acres of soil from being polluted, 1,843/765,000 metric tons of limestone, 2,471,463/62,900,000,000 tons of air pollution per year, 403/67,160 pounds of steam, 4,433/10,950,000,000 metric tons of fossil fuels 9/2 pounds of raw materials, 3/3,125 pounds of heavy metal, 4 centigrams of , 2 ounces of coltan, over 220 pounds of mining waste, 7/12,522,000 ounces of , over $280.00

recycling one ton of cell phones could save 200 grams of, 3/10 pounds of , 3,840,000 kwh of energy, 1,920/7 tons of , 3,072,000 gallons of , $460,800.00