However, our new, top of line phone that we pay $xxx for is relatively worthless in a very short time; so the phones are often stashed away or thrown out with the household rubbish. With the gift giving season coming up, a stack more cell phones are headed for the drawer or the bin.
While the cell phone industry has created a lot of jobs, the level of consumption has also created an environmental nightmare. Aside from the massive amount of resources used in production, it's estimated there are over half a billion discarded cell phones in the US - both tucked away or in landfills. In 2008, a survey by Nokia in 13 countries found that only 3% of people recycle their mobile phones.
Mobile Phone Recycling