Last updated April 12, 2019
According to a new survey sponsored by the cell phone recycling industry in the United States, Americans are experiencing an increase in guilt levels related to the issue. While guilt on its own is not generally regarded as a positive thing, it can actually help achieve positive results if it causes a change in consumer behavior.
In 2009, only slightly more than 10 percent of Americans felt guilty if they failed to recycle cell phones they no longer needed or wanted. That figure now hovers around 30 percent, an increase of almost 300 percent. At the same time, almost 60 percent of US residents report that they have old electronics sitting around in need of proper disposal. These electronics consist not only of cell phones but also of items such as television sets and computers. All of these items can be recycled to help safeguard the environment, though since Americans go through cell phones faster than the other item; this category remains one of the most significant potential sources of additional recycling.
Americans are no strangers to recycling. The vast majority of us do some form of this activity, usually centering on aluminum cans or plastic bottles. To shift attitudes so that cell phone recycling is just as common remains a challenge that the industry is trying to meet. It has become much simpler in recent years to recycle a cell phone now that there are online websites making the process fast and easy.