Cell phone recycling made easy in King County

County staff recycle nearly 400 phones; public can use "Take It Back Network"

When it comes to recycling and protecting the environment, King County employees lead by example. Last May, King County partnered with an outside retailer who agreed to collect and recycle employee cell phones that are old or broken at no cost. Since then, employees have recycled 384 cellular phones.

The phone recycling project was initiated by King County Solid Waste Division's WasteWise program. Now every sector of King County government participates and is responsible for collecting and delivering employee phones to the partner retailer for recycling.

"This is such a practical, low-maintenance program," said Denise Pollitt, Information Systems Analyst for King County's Telecommunications Department. "Any company could set up this type of employee program and experience the same success."

The internal phone recycling campaign follows King County's public electronics recycling program, the Take it Back Network (TIBN). Established in 1999, the network consists of a group of retailers, repair shops, non-profit groups, waste haulers and recyclers that accept used electronic equipment for reuse or recycling.

TIBN provides consumers with safe, convenient reuse and recycling options for electronic products such as computers, monitors, TVs and cell phones, which are prohibited from disposal at King County facilities.

TIBN is a partnership between the King County Solid Waste Division, Snohomish County Solid Waste and Seattle Public Utilities, with support from the King County Local Hazardous Waste Management Program.

For more information about the Take It Back Network, or to find member locations, visit www.takeitbacknetwork.org or contact the King County Solid Waste Division at 206 296-4466.