According to reports, Americans discard about 130 million cell phones from which only a small percentage is recycled, less that 5 percent. Cricket Communications now starts nation-wide handset recycling programs.

There is always the need for a good recycling program and Cricket eases the process. People can drop off their unused phoned at Cricket stores or print a postage-paid shipping label from the company’s website and send their phones to the recycling center.

Cricket’s recycling program will be facilitated in conjunction with ReCellular Inc., a leading collector, reseller and recycler of used wireless handsets and accessories. Approximately 50 percent of the cell phones collected by ReCellular are refurbished to near-new condition or otherwise processed for resale. Rebuilt phones are packaged and marketed to users in developing nations of the world where new phones are cost-prohibitive.

Products that cannot be rebuilt are disassembled and responsibly recycled. No environmental waste goes to landfills, either directly or through intermediaries, making the process highly effective in reducing or eliminating solid waste.