The industry-funded website will help Californians take advantage of new state law requiring cell phone recycling programs by 2006

Folsom, CA (PRWEB) April 16, 2005 -- RecycleForCalifornia.com, an industry-funded statewide cell phone recycling initiative, will officially begin operations on Earth Day, April 22. Individuals and organizations may use the www.RecycleforCalifornia.com website to turn in old cell phones and collect cash for each collected phone that has re-marketable value.

The RecycleForCalifornia program was developed so everyone in the state of California can participate. Individual consumers will be able to sell their cell phones for cash on the RecycleForCalifornia.com website. Non-profit organizations, businesses and city, county and state government agencies will be able to collect old cell phones from their members, customers, employees, residents or organizations. All program materials and shipping are free to collecting organizations and all cell phones collected will be accepted.

Cell phones which cannot be reused will be recycled, with no hazardous materials entering landfills. Before donating their phone, consumers should ensure they have deactivated their service and removed all personal information.

With millions of old cell phones being retired every year, RecycleForCalifornia.com has the potential to generate millions of dollars for Californians while keeping environmentally-damaging cell phones out of land fills.

“It is estimated there are more that 500 million used cellular phones in the U.S., and 100 million more phones are expected to be replaced this year,” said Conrad Melancon, program director for RecycleForCalifornia.com “This cell phone collection program will help raise money for use in the community while keeping hazardous material out of our landfills.”

Besides the obvious economic and environmental benefits, RecycleForCalifornia.com will also help provide cell phones to people in countries where telephone communications are not well established, Melancon said.

“Many of these cellular phones will be sent overseas to countries where a cellular phone may be the only means of long distance communications,” Melancon said. “Others will be used for emergency services and given to shelters throughout the U.S.”

RecycleForCalifornia.com is funded and operated by RMS Communications Group Inc., a Florida-based company that has been in the used cell phone recycling business since the mid-1990s. The company buys old cell phones through a number of websites, including www.cellforcash.com (for consumers), www.wirelessfundraiser.com (for non-profit groups), and www.tradeinwireless.com (for wireless dealers).

RecycleForCalifornia.com was established in response to a law passed by the California Legislature in 2004. That law requires cell phone retailers to have no cost take-back and recycling programs in place by 2006.

Typically, Californians will be able to sell their re-marketable old cell phones for between a few dollars to more than $100 per phone. Phones that are not re-marketable may be donated domestic violence shelters, senior centers or other worthwhile organizations. The remaining cell phones are carefully recycled in an environmentally friendly fashion.

About RecycleForCalifornia.com
RecycleForCalifornia.com is an industry-funded statewide cell phone recycling initiative, established in response to a law passed by the California Legislature which requires cell phone companies to have take-back and recycling programs in place by 2006. RecycleForCalifornia.com allows individuals, non-profits, businesses, cities and counties throughout the State to receive money for their old cell phones. More information can be found at http://www.RecycleForCalifornia.com

About RMS Communications Group Inc.
Based in Ocala, Fla., RMS Communications Group Inc. provides consumers and businesses a convenient way to get cash for cell phones that otherwise lay idle. The company often partners with non-profit organizations that find the collection and sale of old cell phones to be an excellent source of revenue. More information can be found at http://www.RMSComm.com.