The Alleyway - January 2003 Feature Article Alley Facts Oakland County and Automation Alley are proud to present an exciting environmental initiative to benefit member companies as well as local charities. REAP2, Oakland County and Automation Alley's e-waste recycling initiative is kicking off the Cellular Contribution Program, which focuses on harvesting used cellular phones for the benefit of charities. The program aims to clean up a hazardous electronic waste that threatens our environment, while benefiting our local communities. The goal of this program is to recycle used cellular phones that are stockpiled in desks and storage rooms. The recycling will take place in one of two ways. A working phone will be refurbished and re-introduced in an emerging market such as rural China, India, Latin America or Russia. REAP2 partners, while in compliance and maintaining environmental standards, will recycle non-working phones. Either way, the phones will be recycled or reused in a responsible manner. The electronic technologies that have transformed the world over the last four decades have brought with them new environmental challenges. Electronic devices like cellular phones that we now depend on every day contain a range of toxic materials, including lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and chromium. The number of Americans using cell phones has surged from 340,000 in 1985 to 128 million in 2001. On average, cell phones are used for only 18 months before being replaced. However, the challenge of e-waste brings opportunities. Oakland County and Automation Alley have teamed up with The Wireless Source, Automation Alley's Emerging Technology Company of the Year, to help carry out this project. TWS refurbishes and redistributes used cellular phones. With their help, we have already conducted several pilot collection programs with municipalities as well as local businesses. Automation Alley is ideally situated to be at the forefront of this program. Each cellular contribution made by an Automation Alley member company will result in a monetary donation to the company's charity of choice. This will help clean up the environment and raise money for a worthy cause, while helping your company dispose its unwanted e-waste. Be on the lookout for more information coming soon. For more information or to participate in this program, visit us online at www.charitablerecycling.com or contact Lani Morgan at morganl@co.oakland.mi.us.
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