• There are more than 500 million used mobile phones in the US sitting on shelves or in our landfills, and another 125 million will be added to the shelves or landfills this year alone! The problem is growing at a rate of more than 2 million phones per week, putting tons of toxic waste into our landfills daily. This mountain of toxic waste poses a major threat to the environment, and an equally large opportunity to re-channel these devices into productive reuse. Our program is based on the goal of diverting these useful devices from harming the environment, and helping charities raise money so they can pursue more of their good deeds. Please note that we also accept pagers and PDAs (like Palm Pilots) too
• The EPA has established that mobile phones count as hazardous waste, due to their content of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic. Recycling your old cell phone and keeping it out of a landfill on incinerator is an easy way to protect the environment, and people
• CollectiveGood attempts to recycle donated phones back, usually into reuse in the developing world (usually Latin America or the Caribbean), where they serve useful, longer lives and offer affordable communications, in many cases offering families their first modern communications. This helps bridge the digital divide, improving the quality of life for people in the developing world, and even helps their economies too
  

Q: Where can I donate my used mobile phone?
A:  The solution to this problem is as close as your mailbox, your local Staplesİ office supply store, or your local Fedex/Kinkos store. Keep in mind that shipping costs to get the phone to us are also tax-deductible. Some of our programs even offer free shipping, so you can recycle your old mobile phone for free without leaving your home. Simply mail your phones (be sure to fill out the online donation form, so we know which charity to credit, and the charity can send you a donation acknowledgement letter / tax-deduction receipt) directly to our refurbishment facility at:

CollectiveGood, Inc.
5763 ARAPAHOE AVE STE G
Boulder, CO 80303-1350

Q: What kinds of phones are you trying to collect?
A: CollectiveGood accepts makes and models of mobile phones from all over the world, and pagers and PDAs (like Palm Pilots) too. Every mobile phone can be recycled. Be sure to include the batteries and other accessories too!

Q: Is there a risk that I may get phone bills from the next person who uses my old phone?
A: No, as long as your phone has been deactivated from service, there is no such risk. Also, before the phone can be reused, the software is usually changed out, erasing any trace of your ownership of the phone, and also erasing the phone book, so there are no security or privacy issues, and no chance of getting a bill from the next owner.

Q: Can I organize a used mobile phone collection locally?
A: Yes. If you work at a big company click here, are involved with a charitable organization, or have a store, you can easily organize a collection, and mail the phones in directly to our refurbishment center. Every participating charity has an account code that is printed in the online donation form, so we know who to credit for the donation, and donors can get their donation acknowledgement letter. You can help our program reach more people by e-mailing the home page or web address to your friends, family and colleagues.

Q: Why do I need to provide my personal data such as name, address and e-mail?
A: We ask you to provide your contact information because it is needed so we can send you the donation acknowledgement. If you do not wish to provide this information, you can leave the contact information fields blank, but makes the mailing or e-mailing of the donation acknowledgement letter impossible. It is still important for you to select a charity to which you are donating the phones so we can track the donation of your phone once it is received.

Q: How do I establish a value for my donated phone?
A: Typically the tax-deduction value for the phone is determined by the date and price of purchase, depreciated at 20% a year, and for donations valued at less than $250, no receipt is required. However, we are not able to give you personalized tax advice, and suggest you discuss the matter with an accountant or tax advisor, as thee are many possible situations that impact the valuation of the donated phone(s).

Please feel free to contact us if you still have questions