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Have you ever tried to get rid of a cell phone? The last time I purchased one, I couldn't find anyone that wanted my old one. It seems my old phone didn't have all the required "bells and whistles" of the newer models. A few stores provided trade in options, but they were few and far between. Today, there are more options, but one stands apart — Collective Good.

Collective Good is a for profit company that buys donated cell phones from over 200 charities and resells them to cell phone carriers or brokers in developing countries. They've also partnered with eBay and Staples to recycle cell phones. This model works well as the charity gets money, you get a tax deduction, and the end-user gets an affordable cell phone. The recipient is often someone who could never afford to buy a new cell phone.

The process for donating a phone is pretty simple. Collective Good's web site lists over 200 different charities participating in this program. Each charity has its own page and PDF donation form that you can print. The form includes instructions on how and where to ship the phone and accessories. Tax deductions are available from the charity as well, but they take longer to process.

Another appealing aspect of recycling the phone is the environmental angle. According to news reports, we improperly dispose large quantities of cell phones every year. The EPA estimates we will discard 130 million phones per year by 2005. These phone contain materials such as lead and brominated flame-retardants that are harmful to the environment and need to be disposed of properly. If a phone isn't serviceable, Collective Good salvages whatever parts they can and properly disposes the rest according to EPA guidelines.

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