That Darned Old Cell Phone

Does this cell phone make my backside look big? Rather than tossing it into the garbage, recycle it! Houstonist recently received some environmentally friendly news: That old (circa 1984) brick phone and rechargeable batteries can be conveniently recycled, as can cordless power tool batteries (yeah, we know, that phone cost you nearly $4,000 — but hey, the Commodore 64 used to be all that, too). We like doing our part to save the planet, and thanks to Call2Recycle, recycling some electronics or components thereof is a lot easier. Since 1994, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. has recycled more than 22 million pounds of rechargeable batteries, meaning they're being kept out of the garbage:

A recent report by INFORM, Inc. estimates that by 2005, about 200 million cell phones will be in use in the U.S., and over 130 million cell phones will be retired each year. Instead of throwing away these used cell phones and spent rechargeable batteries, it's much better to recycle them. You'll help preserve natural resources and keep discarded products out of landfills.

For a list of recycling locations near you, please click here.