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I just bought a new cell phone over the holidays, and know I probably shouldn't throw my old one in the trash. Is there a way I can recycle it?
 You're absolutely right that throwing away old cell phones is a bad idea. Cell phones contain mercury, lead, cadmium and a number of other highly toxic chemicals. If burnt in an incinerator, these chemicals can be immediately released into the air and spread for many miles, landing in farms, forests and reservoirs. If disposed in a landfill, the metals can break up over long periods of time, leaking into ground water supplies and poisoning streams, wildlife and drinking wells.
In addition to preventing the spread of hazardous waste, recycling your cell phone will reduce the need for resources to be wasted mining new ores. With over 115 million cell phones in use nationwide, recycling could make a big impact.
There are two basic ways to recycle your phone. A really old, non-functioning
cell phone can be stripped down to its basic parts. Ask your local
recycling coordinator about drop-off or mail-in sites accepting materials
for electronics recycling. You can also find recycling centers on
the website Earth
911.
Your other option is to simply give away the phone. Some companies resell the phones at a discount in foreign countries. There are also a number of nationwide programs that collect used cell phones for use by victims of domestic violence. Federal law requires that all 911 calls be connected with the authorities, even on cell phones that aren't otherwise activated. This makes phones that may not be immediately useful to you extremely useful to other people facing life-or-death situations.
Two places to start are the Wireless
Foundation and the HopeLine
Recycling Project.
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