Waste from disposable phones to be curtailed.

• Author: Sawin, Janet
• Position: Environmental Intelligence - Brief Article

The cellular telephone industry is cooperating with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to ensure safer disposal of the metals, plastics, and nickel-cadmium batteries contained in cellular phones. The initiative does not yet include firm targets or timetables, but Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Philips, and other manufacturers have agreed to pursue government regulations for phone recycling and disposal and to offer guidance for new collection programs, particularly in developing countries.

By the end of 2001, the number of mobile phone subscribers was approaching 1 billion, according to the UN's International Telecommunication Union. It was projected that the number of cellular subscribers would surpass fixed-line phone connections...