End-of-life management of cell phones in the United States

Cell phones are a unique niche in the electronic waste stream not only because of their high rate of replacement by consumers, but also because they have viable reuse and recycling markets. The main objective of this research is to recommend end-of-life (EoL) management schemes for cell phones in the United States. The research focused on the EoL markets for cell phones, and examined the different economic and environmental outcomes of various management schemes. The authors considered three options: reuse of phones, reuse of parts, and recycling of materials.