Generation, Collection, and Recycling of Used and End-of-Life Mobile Phones

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Author(s): Yong-Chul Jang (Chungnam National University, South Korea), Seunghun Lee (Chungnam National University, South Korea)and Hwidong Kim (Gannon University, USA)
Copyright: 2015
Pages: 13
Source title: Encyclopedia of Mobile Phone Behavior
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Zheng Yan (University at Albany, State University of New York, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8239-9.ch022

Keywords: Human Aspects of Technology / Information Science Reference / Mobile and Wireless Computing / Social Sciences & Humanities

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Abstract

Mobile phone use has exponentially grown worldwide from a few subscribers in the 1970s to more than 6 billion in 2013. As mobile phones are frequently replaced and upgraded, enormous volumes of mobile phones are retired each year. Mobile phones and accessories typically contain a variety of valuable elements as well as many toxic chemicals. The toxic substances may cause serious human health problems if they are not properly managed. Thus, environmentally sound management of used and end-of-life mobile phones is an issue of growing concern around the world. Although a large quantity of mobile phones are disposed each year, only a small fraction of these phones are collected and managed, and collection programs occur primarily in developed countries. Considering the potential environmental impacts of used and end-of-life mobile phones, understanding the current knowledge of the management of mobile phone waste is critical. This chapter reviews the generation rates, collection systems and recycling, and the impacts of obsolete mobile phones, based on review of available literature and research conducted by a number of leading and pioneering scholars in the field.

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Generation, Collection, and Recycling of Used and End-of-Life Mobile Phones

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