Earth Day survey reveals Americans wireless dependence & recycling habits

- Gary Thayer, Editor

New York, April 22, 2005 -- (MobileVillage) -- Americans use an average of six wireless products in their daily lives, and over 30% of consumers own and use eight or more wireless products, according to a survey commissioned by the non-profit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) and conducted by NOP World.

The new survey shows that our use of wireless products is growing: a similar RBRC study conducted in 2003 found that consumers owned and used an average of five wireless products, while in 1999 consumers were using an average of three wireless products.

Examples of wireless products powered by rechargeable batteries include: iPods and other media players, laptops or notebooks, pagers, handheld PDAs and phones, digital cameras, cordless power tools, electric toothbrushes, camcorders, handheld vacuums, and remote-controlled toys.

The survey also reveals:

- The average American cell phone user has a total of between two and three (2.6 to be exact) or more cell phones in their possession, while over 34% of Americans have a total of three or more cell phones.

- Over 40% of Americans replace their cell phone about every two years and roughly 20% replace their cell phones annually.

- Over 47% of those surveyed still have their old cell phones.

- When asked which wireless product they could not live without and would want if stranded on a desert island, nearly 50% (49.3%) of respondents chose their cell phone; only 11.7% say they cannot live without their iPods and 11.3% chose their laptop computers.

- Nearly 90% of those surveyed would be more likely to recycle their old cell phones and used rechargeable batteries if there was a convenient drop-off location at a store near them.

RBRC's Call2Recycle cell phone and rechargeable battery recycling program offers over 30,000 collection locations across the U.S. where consumers can drop off old cell phones, whether the phones are in working condition or not. The rechargeable batteries in the phones are recycled through RBRC's retail channels. Over the last 10 years, RBRC has collected more than 26 million lbs. of rechargeable batteries.

Cell phones collected through the program are recycled or refurbished and resold, with a portion of proceeds to be donated to national charities, such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, according to RBRC.

For more information on how to recycle used cell phones, call 1-877-2RECYCLE or go to call2recycle.org.

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