Life Cycle of a Cell phone By Sanchit Singhal, William Huber, Eduardo Viteri, Mark Yoder

Research and Product Development Cell phone engineering began with the radios used in world war 2 Mobile rigs were placed in police vehicles and cabs in the 1960’s The first phone was created in 1973 then digital networks were developed in the 1990’s. In the 2000’s text messaging and internet began to become available on cell phones. Now 4 G is available which have speed improvement from the 3G phones. A cell phone consists of 40% metals, 40% plastics, and 20 % ceramics and trace materials The circuit board of a phone is made up of such products as gold, lead, crude oil, and other materials many of these are toxins that stay in the environment even after disposal. In order to make the LCD or the screen in the front of the phone mercury is often used. All of the batteries are materials which are mined from the earth. The phone also uses a material known as coltan. This material has a high demand and is mined in Brazil, Africa, China, and Canada There is such a high demand for these materials people in places such as the Congo have fought for these materials. Coltan is often stolen from country to country in order for resale causing violence. The Coltan is stripped mined in places such as the Congo and due to this the gorilla population went from 258 to

Marketing Cell phones are marketed everywhere from television to build boards. Nearly every other commercial is a different cell pone carrier trying to up the next, like At&t, Verizon, T- mobile, and sprint ill try and bring the other down while boosting there own credibility. Companies will sometimes offer free products if one were to sign up for there subscription plan. The companies also advertise cheap phones and if one were to sign a contract and then simply have the costumer pay more for their contract then necessary. Companies use everything from celebrity endorsement (such as on the left Mr.. To comparisons to other networks as Verizon did with AT&T on the right.

Research and Product Development Cell phone engineering began with the radios used in world war 2 Mobile rigs were placed in police vehicles and cabs in the 1960’s The first phone was created in 1973 then digital networks were developed in the 1990’s. In the 2000’s text messaging and internet began to become available on cell phones. Now 4 G is available which have speed improvement from the 3G phones. A cell phone consists of 40% metals, 40% plastics, and 20 % ceramics and trace materials The circuit board of a phone is made up of such products as gold, lead, crude oil, and other materials many of these are toxins that stay in the environment even after disposal. In order to make the LCD or the screen in the front of the phone mercury is often used. All of the batteries are materials which are mined from the earth. The phone also uses a material known as coltan. This material has a high demand and is mined in Brazil, Africa, China, and Canada There is such a high demand for these materials people in places such as the Congo have fought for these materials. Coltan is often stolen from country to country in order for resale causing violence. The Coltan is stripped mined in places such as the Congo and due to this the gorilla population went from 258 to

Marketing Cell phones are marketed everywhere from television to build boards. Nearly every other commercial is a different cell pone carrier trying to up the next, like At&t, Verizon, T- mobile, and sprint ill try and bring the other down while boosting there own credibility. Companies will sometimes offer free products if one were to sign up for there subscription plan. The companies also advertise cheap phones and if one were to sign a contract and then simply have the costumer pay more for their contract then necessary. Companies use everything from celebrity endorsement (such as on the left Mr.. To comparisons to other networks as Verizon did with AT&T on the right.

Sales Distribution and Transportation Sales Distribution and Transportation: After cell phones are packaged, they are distributed in large quantities to retail stores all over the world.

Consumer Use Consumer Use: 255 million in United States About 5 billion cell phones in the world Since most phones are tied to a 2-year plan, it seems people get a new phone at least every 2 years.

Final Disposition I Every year, upgrades or damage make 100 million cell phones obsolete In 2007, the recycling rate for cell phones was just 10 percent. The average life span of a cell phone is 18 months. The average American cell phone user owns three or more cellular phones. Up to 75 percent of obsolete phones are stockpiled in drawers, including the battery and the charger. Each year in April, the EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program sponsors a “National Cell Phone Recycling Week” to encourage proper phone disposal.

Final Disposition II Cell phone coatings are often made of lead, and their lithium-ion batteries can explode if exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight, which are common conditions in landfills. Cell phones in working condition are often donated to people with disabilities or shelters for battered women, as any phone is capable of dialing 911 regardless of its service. Although there have been talks about creating a universal phone charger, there are currently numerous models that can be recycled along with a cell phone. The world’s largest cell phone recycler, ReCellular, collects 25,000 cell phones daily from more than 40,000 collection sites.