The program provides a solution to the problem of tens of millions of hoarded mobile phones on shelves and in desk drawers while working to protect the environment.
Donors also receive a donation acknowledgement receipt that is useful at income tax time.
Washington DC is the fifth largest mobile phone market in the US, and this program targets the millions of spare mobile phones sitting idly in local shelves and drawers while protecting the local environment from potentially hazardous electronics waste. It is estimated that Americans have immobilized more than 200 million of these phones. Through this program, the collected mobile phones are refurbished, and then recycled back into reuse in the developing world, helping bridge the digital divide by providing affordable modern communications to the masses. CollectiveGood works with companies and charities to educate consumers on the potential environmental perils of mobile phones and the benefits of recycling them. Many components in mobile phones contain hazardous materials such as mercury, cadmium, nickel and gallium arsenide.