Anyone interested in recycling old cell phones can now go to the Student Activities Center (SAC) in Hughes-Trigg, where the Student Senate Environment Committee (SSEC) placed a white mailbox for collection.

The program, which officially started April 12, will operate permanently, according to advertising major Tiana Lightfoot, a junior who is in charge of committee public relations.

“We have the drop box for the phones,” she said in an e-mail interview. “And as long as there is a Student Senate Environment Committee there will be someone to mail in the phones.”

So far, they have collected roughly 10 phones. SSEC chair Joseph Grinnell said he had expected a better turnout.

The box is located in the third floor SAC office on a desk along the left-hand wall.

Lightfoot said cell phones are a good recycling choice because they can be mailed in at little cost, whereas computers are heavier and harder to ship. “And there is always a fear that student information will not be completely deleted from the computer when it is recycled,” she said.

CTIA.org offers these tips before recycling a cell phone: First, terminate your service. Next, clear the phone’s memory of contacts and other stored information. Reverting to factory settings can do this for some brands, but consulting the user’s manual is the best way to be certain all memory is accessed and erased. Finally, if present, remove the SIM card. The Web site recommends that people who are unsure if their phones operate on a SIM card contact their wireless providers.

According to Grinnell, the donated phones will be sold to Ecophones of Carrolton and proceeds will help fund SSEC projects and operations. He said, “Phones will be refurbished and resold or properly disassembled and their toxic components disposed of or recycled.”

Electronics thrown into landfills can cause problems for the environment. According to californiaearth911.org, electronics contain hazardous materials and precious metals. They list cadmium, lead and mercury as potentially harmful items. Since manufacturers use precious metals in electronics production, those are listed alongside energy as irretrievable items when thrown away.

Lightfoot said the SMU Student Senate Environment Committee wants to do its part by preventing as many cell phones as possible from causing harm to the environment and people.

She added that the first 20 students to donate phones will win movie tickets.

Grinnell said the committee has forms to claim the donation as a tax deduction.