Program Debuts to Donate Recycled Cell Phone Value to Haiti

Want to kill e-waste, lighten up the amount of junk you have at home and help the shattered people of Haiti all in one motion? ReCellular, an “electronics sustainability firm, has launched a used cell phone reclamation program it is calling Phones for Haiti, in which the full estimated value of recycled phones will be donated to ongoing American Red Cross efforts to support Haitians in wake of the devastating January 12th earthquake.

ReCellular said that folks who visit its special Phones for Haiti Web site can download a prepaid mailing label, drop the phones into some kind of packaging and send them off for collection, reuse and recycling. The company, which normally gives money to nonprofits through partnerships, said all phones are accepted, though “newer phones will provide the most value to the charity – in some cases $100 or more.” With an estimated 130 million phones “retired” each year, according to ReCellular, it figures even a small number of those collected could help contribute lots of needed dollars.

“The devastation in Haiti is slowly becoming all too clear,” said Steve Manning, ReCellular CEO, in a statement. “Sending in your used phone is a simple and effective way to help with the rescue and rebuilding efforts already underway.”