As consumers approach Earth Day 2006,
Cellular One from Dobson Cellular Systems – one of the leading providers of wireless telecommunication services in the United States – is urging its customers to recycle their old and used cellular telephones.
To encourage the responsible disposal of old and outdated wireless products, Cellular One launched a wireless telephone recycling program known as “Restart” in 2005. As a result, in just a year, the company says its has collected more than 30,000 unwanted cell phones that were either recycled or sold to a third party vendor, with all proceeds benefiting The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).
Earth Day is April 22.
"Estimates are more than 130 million used wireless phones are discarded every year,” said Cellular One Spokesman Craig Davis. “We encourage our customers to recycle their phone; it’s good for the environment and it may help save the life of a child awaiting an organ transplant.”
Restart has generated more than $20,000 for COTA, Davis said.
Consumers may bring their old wireless telephones to any one of Cellular One’s more than 250 retail locations nationwide, or request a postage paid envelope on a specially designated Website: restartphones.com.
Over the past four years, Cellular One has supported COTA in a variety of fundraising efforts. Based in Bloomington, Indiana, COTA assists children in need of organ transplants and their parents with financial and educational services. One hundred percent of the money donated to COTA through Restart goes directly to patient campaigns.
"We appreciate the support of Cellular One and its customers throughout the country,” COTA President Rick Lofgren said. “It’s a great opportunity to help a child and help the environment.”
Cellular One is a licensed trade name of Dobson Cellular Systems, a subsidiary of Dobson Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DCEL). The company owns more than 65 wireless markets in 16 states and offers its customers a wide variety of products and services backed by a state-of-the-art GSM network.
For more information on Cellular One, or to find the nearest retail location, visit celloneusa.com. For more information on COTA, visit cota.org.
