Highly Toxic Materials in Mobile Phones Need to be Diverted from Landfill – Revealed in Infographic by CompareMyMobile

According to recent research*, 80,000 pounds of Lead gets into the earth because of unused, discarded electronics. This is just one of the shocking facts that motivated CompareMyMobile to create this infographic, in a bid to raise awareness of how damaging these electronics can be.

Key information:

·  There are estimated to be 6.86 billion GBP worth of unused mobile phones in the UK

·  Some hazardous materials inside mobile phones could be a risk to human organs

·  Apple’s iPhone 2G is currently the worst rated phone for toxicity levels

Toxic materials which sit inside mobile devices

A new infographic put together by leading mobile phone recycling comparison site and Android/iOS app CompareMyMobile, hopes to raise awareness of the real dangers of throwing phones into landfill.

Research drawn from a range of sources* shows that every mobile phone is full of materials such as Lead, Bromine, Mercury and Zinc – which are thought to affect organs such as the stomach and heart, as well as skin, limbs and bones**.

It is also thought that one Cadmium smartphone battery has the ability to contaminate 60,000 litres of water – which could go on to be digested by humans. Cadmium is actually a known human carcinogen, which can increase the chances of death from lung cancer.

CompareMyMobile believe it is important to raise awareness of these possible threats – to reiterate quite how important mobile phone recycling and disposing of electronics in the appropriate way is.

Mobile phones with the worst toxicity levels

The infographic contains findings from healthstuff.org* which names the Motorola Citrus and Apple’s iPhone 4S as the top two best rated smartphones for toxicity levels.

5 Best Rated Phones for Toxicity Levels:

1.  Motorola Citrus

2.  Apple iPhone 4S

3.  LG Remarq

4.  Samsung Captivate

5.  Apple iPhone 5

Apple’s improvement throughout production of the iPhone is obvious, as its iPhone 2G is actually the worst rated device for toxicity levels.

5 Worst Rated Phones for Toxicity Levels:

1.  Apple iPhone 2G

2.  Palm M125

3.  Motorola MOTO W233 Renew

4.  Nokia N95

5.  BlackBerry Storm 9530

CompareMyMobile say it is clear that manufacturers are trying to create mobile devices with less toxic materials in - especially when you consider that Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 are both in the top five best rated. But, as companies are unable to create these devices without these materials, they still need to be dealt with properly afterwards.

What happens to recycled mobile phones?

Many mobile phones which are sent to UK recyclers may be refurbished, and go on as a second-hand device sold in the UK or abroad. Some phones will even be sent to developing countries to give those without a connection a means of communication.

Co-Founder of CompareMyMobile, Ashley Turner, says: “Phones sent to recyclers are divided by manufacturer and model, then tested by engineers for their individual functions such as the ringer, speaker, and screen. Devices that pass as a whole are then resold all around the world. Devices that do not pass get dismantled for components, which are used to rebuild other devices and the excess parts are processed through traditional recycling methods.”

CompareMyMobile says that accredited, trustworthy UK recyclers will not send phones to:

´  Landfill

´  Incineration

´  Backyard Recycling

´  Unofficial recycling – where final destinations are not verified

The site does stress that it’s not just bad materials that lay inside these devices – materials such as Gold and Silver are also being sent to landfill instead of being recycled and re-used. It is predicted that 140 million handsets in landfill is equal to 3.7 tonnes of gold worth 35 million GBP.

If consumers in the UK recycle electronics properly, CompareMyMobile says companies are able to legitimately dispose of unwanted electronics in way which is kind to the environment and beneficial for sustainable manufacturing. However, for this to happen, the site say more awareness needs to be raised about hazardous chemicals and the need for mobile phone recycling to be a priority for consumers.

Notes for editors:

Please contact our main Press Contact - Co-Founder Ashley Turner – for custom quotes or statistics/data. CompareMyMobile can also provide custom graphics. See the attached Useful Facts and PR Pack for more information on the company and our press history.

*See infographic information sources at the end of the infographics

**See infographic attached for full details on which toxic materials are linked to harm in each organ