Top Green Cities in the U.S. for Recycling Phones, Tablets and Other Electronics

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): In the U.S. we toss out around 150 million mobile phones each year and only recycle 20%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). China, which has been the world’s largest importer of recyclables for decades, is now banning the transport of No. 3 through 7 plastics, leaving the US scrambling to find other options.

When you throw a phone or other electronics in the trash, they wind up either incinerated or lodged in a landfill, slowly leaking lead, mercury and other harmful metals into the groundwater and air, according to ecoATM, an eco-friendly kiosk that pays you to recycle your devices.

Partner companies ecoATM and Gazelle said that they’ve diverted over 19 million devices from going to landfills through trade-ins, sales and recycling “ATMs.” And they’re not alone. Best Buy, SellCell and Back Market are all marketplaces that have together recycled, resold or refurbished millions of phones and tablets based on what ordinary people bring in.  These four companies gave us their list of cities that account for the highest number of mobile phones and tablet trade-ins and recycling donations.

Courtesy: https://www.wasteadvantage.com