The Life Cycle Of A Cell Phone printable pdf download

The Life Cycle

The Life Cycle of a Cell Phone

Packaging &

End-of-Life

The Life Cycle of a Cell Phone

Transportation

of a Cell Phone

Donating or recycling cell phones when you no

longer need or want them extends their useful

Cell phone parts and the finished products

lives, and prevents them from ending up in the

need packaging and transportation to get from

trash where they can potentially cause environ-

one place to another. Transportation by plane,

mental problems.

truck, or rail all require the use of fossil fuels

for energy, which can contribute to global

±Keeping your phone longer.

Reuse

ou have one, your parents have one, your

Choose

M at e r ial s

climate change.

Many organizations—including recyclers, chari-

friends each have one—owning a cell phone

your cell phone service provider carefully.

ties, and electronics manufacturers—accept

has become as common as having a tradi-

Pick a phone with features you need and a

While packaging protects products from dam-

E x t r a ctio n

working cell phones and offer them to schools,

tional land-line in your home. More than 156 mil-

style you like so you will keep it longer.

age, identifies contents, and provides informa-

community organizations, and individuals in

lion Americans now use cell phones—including

tion, excessive or decorative packaging can be

need. Reuse gives people, who could not oth-

±Charging your battery correctly.

about 20 percent of American teens! In a way,

wasteful. Packaging

erwise afford them, free or reduced cost

cell phones have become a necessity of everyday

Increase the life span of your phone and

consumes valuable

access to new phones and their accessories.

life—we use them to call home when we’re late,

battery by following the manufacturer’s direc-

natural resources,

In 1985, about 340,000

Plus, it extends the useful lifetime of a phone.

M at e r ial s

make plans with friends, or get directions when

tions for charging the battery.

such as paper

people used cell phones

we’re lost. But have you ever thought about how

(from trees), plas-

in the United States; in

±Reusing or recycling your phone.

cell phones are made and what happens to them

tic (from crude oil

2003, more than 140

P r o c e ss i n g

Take-Back Programs

when you don’t need them anymore?

Find ways to reuse or recycle your phone and

in the earth), alu-

million people used

Many cell phone manufacturers and

accessories when you’re finished with them.

minum (from ore), or

cell phones.

service providers offer a “take-back” pro-

Like any product, making a cell phone and its

Many companies recycle or reuse cell

other materials, all of

gram. Under this system, manufacturers

parts uses natural resources and energy, which

phones—visit the “Resources” section of

which use energy to produce

accept used cell phones and accessories

can potentially impact the air, land, and water.

this poster for a list of suggestions.

and can result in waste. Some packaging, how-

Understanding the life cycle of a product can

and either recycle, re-manufacture, or

ever, can be made from recycled materials.

Today, more than

dispose of them using systems designed

help you make environmental choices about

Follow the life-cycle diagram to learn more

1.2 billion cell phones

the products you use, and how you dispose of

about cell phones, their parts, and their

to handle the specific types of waste cell

Disposal

are in use worldwide.

them. You can help minimize your environ-

potential impact on the environment...

Useful Life

phones produce. Contact your

mental impact of using a cell phone by:

manufacturer by using the

Unlike other countries, cell phone companies

information that came with your

in the United States sell their own phones,

phone or via the Internet.

which are usually not interchangeable from

company to company. Even though regulations

now allow consumers to transfer their phone

Materials Extraction

Materials Processing

R e c y c l i n g

Recycle

number to a new phone company, most com-

Electronics recyclers are springing up every-

panies have unique technologies in their

A cell phone is made up of many materials.

Most raw materials must be processed before

where! Today, many stores, manufacturers, and

phones that only work in

In general, the handset consists of 40 percent

manufacturers can use them to make prod-

recycling centers accept cell phones for recy-

their own networks.

metals, 40 percent plastics, and 20 percent

ucts. For example, in cell phones:

Cell phones are only

cling. While some electronics recyclers only

This means that

ceramics and trace materials.

used for an average of

accept large shipments, communities, schools,

switching cell

—Crude oil is combined with natural gas and

18 months before being

or groups can work together to collect used cell

phone companies

The circuit board (also called a printed

chemicals in a processing plant to make

phones for shipment to electronics recyclers.

replaced—even though

can mean having

wiring board), located in the handset, is the

plastic;

M a n u f a ctu r i n g

they can function for

to purchase a new

—Copper is mined, ground, heated, and treated

“brain” of the cell phone because it controls

much, much longer.

Some rechargeable batteries can also be recy-

phone. One way to

all of its functions.

with chemicals and electricity to isolate the

cled, as several retail stores and some commu-

E n d - o f - Li f e

extend the useful life

pure metal used to make circuit boards and

nities have started collecting them. When

of your phone and prevent

—Circuit boards are made from mined, raw

batteries. The resulting copper pieces are

rechargeable batteries are recycled, the recov-

waste is to use the same company for continu-

materials including copper, gold, lead, nickel,

shipped to a manufacturer where they are

ered materials can be used to make new batter-

ing phone service. Always comparison-shop to

zinc, beryllium, tantalum, coltan, and other

formed into wires and sheets.

ies and stainless steel products.

be sure you get the service and phone that’s

metals. The manufacturing of these boards

right for you.

requires crude oil for plastic, and sand and

Check the “Resources” section of this poster

limestone for fiberglass. Many of these

for a list of organizations that will accept your

Manufacturing

You can also extend the life of your phone by

materials are known as “persistent toxins”

phone and accessories for reuse or recycling.

taking care of it—protecting it from damage by

and can stay in the environment for long

You can also use the Internet or phone book to

Plastics and fiberglass are used to make the

storing it in a case, avoiding dropping it, and

periods of time, even after disposal.

search for local contacts that recycle and refur-

basic shape of the circuit board, which is

keeping it out of extreme heat and cold and

bish cell phones.

then coated with gold plating. The board is

away from water and other liquids.

The liquid crystal display (LCD) is a

also composed of several electronic compo-

low-power, flat-panel display on the

Disposal

nents, connected with circuits and

front of your phone that shows

By 2005, the rate at which cell phones are dis-

wires (primarily made of copper)

information and images. It

The use of rechargeable

carded is predicted to exceed 125 million

that are soldered to the board and

Approximately 20 percent

becomes opaque (hard to

phones each year, resulting in more than

secured with protective glues

batteries in cell phones reduces the

of American teens (more

see through) when electric

65,000 tons of waste! Cell phones that are

amount of waste and toxicity that dis-

and coatings.

current passes through it.

girls than boys) own a cell

thrown in the trash end up in landfills (buried in

posable batteries create. Be sure to fol-

phone. By the end of 2005,

The contrast between the

the ground) or incinerators (burned). Because

LCDs are manufactured by

low the manufacturer’s instructions for

opaque and transparent

nearly two-thirds of all U.S.

cell phones contain metals, plastics, chemi-

sandwiching liquid crystal

charging your batteries so you can

(see-through) areas forms

teens will be wireless!

cals, and other potentially hazardous sub-

between layers of glass or plastic.

extend their lives as long as possible.

visible characters.

stances, you should always recycle, donate, or

U se f u l

trade in your old cell phone. It’s free and easy.

Batteries consist of two separate parts,

—Various liquid crystalline substances, either

R e u se

Don’t throw it away! Phones that are thrown

called electrodes, made from two different

naturally occurring (such as mercury, a

away waste energy and result in the loss of

metals. A liquid substance, called electrolytes,

Li f e

potentially dangerous substance) or human-

valuable resources.

touches each electrode. When an outside

P a c ka g i n g &

made, are used to make LCDs. LCDs also

source of electricity such as an outlet is

require the use of glass or plastic.

applied, chemical reactions between the elec-

Crank Up the Volume

trodes and the electrolytes cause an

T r a n s p o r t atio n

The rechargeable battery is used to

electric current to flow, giving batteries their

power the phone.

A major cell phone manufacturer recently developed a way to recharge cell

“juice” or power.

phone batteries using “muscle power.” This hand-powered device provides

By 2005, cell

—Cell phones can use several types of batter-

20 minutes of talk time after just three minutes of squeezing a hand-held

phones will be discarded

generator! Other new technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells and zinc-air

ies: nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium-ion

at a rate of more than

and solar-powered batteries, are under development and might ultimately

(Li-Ion), nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), or lead acid.

125 million phones each

Ni-MH and Ni-Cd batteries contain nickel,

replace current battery technology.

year, resulting in more

These new alternatives will conserve

cobalt, zinc, cadmium, and copper. Li-Ion bat-

than 65,000 tons

natural resources and reduce waste.

teries use lithium metallic oxide and carbon-

Between 1999 and 2003,

of waste!

based materials, all mined from the earth.

2.5 million phones were

collected to be recycled or

The Nine Lives of a Cell Phone

reused, accounting for less than

Using Less Stuff

1 percent of the millions of

Cell phones consist of nine basic parts,

±Keypad

phones retired or discarded

each of which has its own life cycle:

±Microphone

Cell phone companies have made great strides in “dematerialization”

each year.

±Speaker

±Circuit board/printed wiring board

(using less materials) as shown by the decreasing size of today’s cell

±Plastic casing

±Liquid crystal display (LCD)

phones. Years ago, the technology needed for a cell phone would

±Accessories (such as adapters, headsets,

±Battery

have filled the entire floor of an office building; now everything

±Antenna

carrying cases, and decorative face plates)

needed for a cell phone weighs only 7.7 ounces!

The Life Cycle Of A Cell Phone

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