Improper disposal of smart phones, a rising issue, finds study

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): According to recent report published by ConsumerReports.org, the improper disposal of smart phones has led to huge security risks. Rough estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that nearly 420,000 cell phones are disposed of every day. Almost 40% of these are disposed without proper data erasure. This could provide easy access for hackers to the person’s private data, which in turn can lead to various issues.

Experts urged consumers not to dispose phone without completely erasing all data present in it. The phone should be ideally restored to factory settings before disposal. However, majority of people forget to wipe away their data before throwing away used phones.

EPA studies reveal that an average American buys a new cell phone once in every two years. The old phones are usually recycled or trashed. The survey conducted by Basel Action Network (BAN) shows that majority of the discarded phones land up in offshore landfills, where they are mostly recycled using unhealthy and traditional techniques. Nearly 80% of the electronic waste from the US is exported to destinations in Asia.

Information security companies warn that improper disposal of cell phones could result in data breach. By throwing away the devices to be handled improperly, companies and governments are throwing their reputation in the trash.