Do you have a collection of old cell phones in a desk drawer somewhere because you don’t know what to do with them? A new US initiative aims to make it easier for people to recycle phones, computers, and other battery-powered electronics.
This month, the US Department of Energy announced a $14 million program that will fund more than 1,000 consumer battery collection sites across the country at Staples and Battery Plus stores. It’s part of a larger $62 million effort announced by the Biden administration in April to boost battery recycling.
The average lifespan of a smartphone is just two to three years, resulting in billions of discarded phones every year that are adding to the world’s alarming electronic waste problem.
Smartphones can’t be discarded in household garbage or recycling bins. They contain lithium-ion batteries that can leak toxic chemicals into the environment or…
