COUNTY WANTS MORE CELL PHONE COLLECTION SITES 
Westchester law bans throwing cell phones in the trash; DEF certification necessary to assure environmentally safe disposal; Personal information in phones is removed

A cell phone recycling law went into effect June 1, 2006 in Westchester, making it illegal to throw the phones in the garbage. 

To make it easier for residents to recycle cell phones, the county is working to expand the number of places that will take the old phones.

Currently, there are more than 50 places in the county that recycle old cell phones, which contain a number of dangerous materials that should be kept out of the waste stream.

To protect you from identity theft, personal information in cell phones dropped off in the Verizon Wireless' HopeLine collection boxes is erased or deleted by ReCellular, the company that refurbishes and recycles the phones.

The county Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF), working together with the county Dept of Consumer Protection, is reaching out to cell phone stores and other locations to get them certified in accordance with the new law.

Businesses and organizations interested in becoming a DEF-certified cell phone acceptance center should contact the Recycling Office at (914) 813-5404.

In 2005, more than 7,000 cell phones were voluntarily recycled at more than 50 locations through the HopeLine program, a joint partnership with Verizon Wireless to benefit domestic violence victims. These locations have since been certified.

To find out if a collection site is certified or to locate a nearby certified cell phone acceptance center, check the link on this page or call the Recycling Office at (914) 813-5441.