Outdated mobile phones usually end up being disposed of improperly, harming the environment. (Photo : Reuters)
China currently has a mobile phone waste problem, with consumers replacing their old mobile phones as frequently as every 8-12 months, resulting in 80 million mobile phones being abandoned every year, according to a report by news outlet xkb.com.cn.
A large quantity of hazardous substances in waste mobile phone could severely affect the surrounding environment if not properly dismantled and disposed.
Worldwide, only 9-10 percent of discarded mobile phones are sent to recycling centers for proper disposal.
In China, the recycling rate for mobile phones is far below the world average. The trend in China is to keep one's mobile phone for possible future use.
According to environmental experts, hazardous substances contained in the heavy metals that are used to make mobile phones can contaminate the soil and water if the used phones are abandoned and get mixed in with household garbage.
There currently is no company in China that specializes in dismantling and disposing waste mobile phone without causing any environmental harm.
In 2011, China implemented the Waste Electrical and Electronic Product Recycling Management Regulations, which covers the management of discarded waste of appliances like refrigerators and TV sets. However, the recycling of mobile phones is not covered under the regulations.
China may pick up some of the tactics used in other parts of the world to encourage citizens to properly dispose of mobile phones.
In Japan, citizens are rewarded for turning in old mobile phones for recycling. The mobile phone recycling industry has created around 15,000 jobs in the country.
In Australia, the trend is for people to donate old mobile phones to charities for resale.
