Recycle your cell phone, pocket some green

Cell phones have become a landfill liability with only 10 percent of them recycled each year. San Diego’s ecoATM has created an ATM like device to help consumers safely dispose of or even profit off of their old cell phones. The company was inspired to create  the “Automated eCycling Station for e-Waste” by bottle redemption programs in the US.

Mark Bowles, CEO of ecoATM Inc. said “Over 100 million used, but still valuable phones, are quietly retired to closets and drawers each year in the US where they decay into zero value and then enter our landfills years later. Our automated ecoATM provides consumers and retailers an easy, convenient, incentivized method to convert those devices into real money instead of toxic waste.”

How does the ecoATM work? Users visit a big box store and deposit their phone into the self serve station. According to CNET, the ecoATM looks for missing keys, cracked screens, and scuffs to find a monetary value for the phone. The customer can get a trade-up coupon or gift card for phones in good condition. Cell phones that have no value are tagged to be recycled. These owners get a small gift card as well as a tree planted in their honor for their good deed.

The convenient nature of the ecoATM is a major win for consumers who often lack the time, energy, or are just plain lazy when it comes to recycling. Retailers may be the biggest winner because the machines are free to install and can also help them comply with municipal e-waste laws.

The first ecoATM is located in Omaha’s Nebraska Furniture Mart which sells everything from couches to DVD players. The kiosk gobbled up 23 phones in its first day and $100 in payouts on day two. ecoATM will add several more national retailers over the coming months in Boston, Dallas, San Diego, and Seattle. Future items that may be recycled through the system include MP3 players and even digital cameras.