As many as 150 million cell phones are taken out of service in the U.S. each year, and some 80 percent end up in the landfill, where they leach toxins into the air and water. In an attempt to address the problem, the U.S. EPA today launched a campaign to boost cell-phone reuse and recycling. Eleven companies — AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Office Depot, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, and T-Mobile — are partnering on the campaign and will collect phones and hold recycling events. “Each partner will still have its own program,” says Mark Buckley of Staples, “but E.P.A. is providing a standardized message to consumers.” That message is a tagline even our pun-lovin’ hearts find groan-worthy: “Recycle Your Cell Phone. It’s an Easy Call.”
