Cell phone companies come out with new models of phones every few months. As consumers we always want the latest model with the most up-to-date features and technologies. Never mind the promotions wireless companies run to entice consumers to purchase new phones every couple of years, the average person holds onto a cell phone for one to two years. Then what? Most people do one of two things: put them in a drawer with the rest of the electronics that are never used, or donate them so they will be distributed to people in need. The latter is being promoted more and more because disposing of cell phones is hazardous to the environment, but there is not much information out there on how to correctly dispose of cell phones. For this reason the EPA released new guidelines on October 31st for donating cell phones, reports BusinessWeek.
Consumers who donate their cell phones are doing a good deed, so why should they have guidelines to follow? - To protect them. Think of the many roles cell phones play today, especially with smart phones – calendars, internet, e-mail – and all the information they hold. In a survey held in September of 160 donated mobile phones, one in five devices held sensitive information. Blackberrys were the worst, with 43% containing data that could be considered a threat to the individual or organization.
Mike Newman, a VP at ReCellular, a large recycler and reseller of cell phones comments, “Companies have tended to put a lot of emphasis on how to handle their older laptops and desktops but have not thought about the fact that their phones tend to have as much sensitive information as computers.” Mobile device manufacturers don’t make the information readily available on how to erase information but ReCellualr has put these instructions on their website for over 23 manufacturers.
The lesson here: do the good deed and donate your mobile devices to be reused or recycled, but make sure you completely remove any sensitive data to protect yourself.