SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Keep California Beautiful
(KCB) announces the launch of a state-wide partnership to heighten
awareness of the importance of cell phone recycling and collect unwanted
cell phones. CA Assemblyperson Fran Pavley, author of AB 2901, joins KCB
and its partners at the state Capital on June 28 at 10am (Capitol Steps
facing "N" Street, California State Capitol Building, Sacramento) to
announce the campaign. AB 2901 is the nation's first state-wide mandatory
cell phone recycling law targeting wireless retailers and goes into effect
July 1, 2006, requiring cell phone retailers in California to establish a
collection and recycling program.
Californians are also restricted from throwing old cell phones into the
trash. Since 2002, households and small businesses have been exempt from
state's Universal Waste Rule, which applies to certain hazardous waste
generated by a wide variety of people. This exemption expired on February
8, 2006.
Help Eliminate Wireless Waste
There are over 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting idle in
desk drawers or in landfills, with another 130 million estimated to be
added in 2006. Cell phones contain a large number of hazardous materials
which can pollute air when incinerated and seep into drinking water when
buried in landfills. These hazardous materials include arsenic, beryllium,
cadmium, copper, lead and zinc.
Recycle that Phone!
In partnership with the CA Department of Toxic Control Substances' Take
It Back campaign, Waste Management, Wireless Alliance and many others, KCB
is beginning one of the largest coordinated cell phone collection campaigns
in California to keep our communities safe from the harmful effects of
improperly disposed cell phones. Visit http://www.cleanca.org and click on "Donate
Your Cell Phone." All phones collected through KCB's program will be
properly recycled at no cost to the donor, and in most cases postage is
also provided. Wireless retailers and other businesses can also request
postage-paid collection boxes to collect cell phones from employees and
customers.
About Keep California Beautiful
Keep California Beautiful (KCB) is a statewide non-profit environmental
organization chartered by the state in 1990. KCB has a network of over 100
cities and counties throughout the state dedicated to encouraging litter
prevention and recycling through community based action projects. KCB
promotes and supports cleanup and beautification efforts. For additional
information, visit http://www.cleanca.org.
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