Great Parks Launches Recycling Program for Cellphones and Smartphones

All, 2022, Great Parks News
Cellphone Recycling bin

Great Parks of Hamilton County is strategically expanding its recycling program to accept old cellphones and smartphones in specially marked bins at parks and golf courses throughout Hamilton County, an initiative that will benefit natural resources both in our local community and in sensitive habitats elsewhere in the world.

“This convenient new recycling option will help us to prevent the lead, mercury and other toxic substances in phones from entering landfills and leaching into soil and groundwater,” said Todd Palmeter, CEO for Great Parks. “It means a better outcome for our community, with improved protection of natural resources and a more sustainable end for these devices.”

For this recycling program, cellphones and smartphones of any make, model and carrier can be left in the bins, but cases, chargers and accessories cannot be accepted. Great Parks is working with the ECO-CELL company to recycle the phones through certified reclamation companies. Devices that are still functional will be resold, with a portion of the money being returned to Great Parks for recycling and other sustainability projects.

Great Parks recommends several steps before guests drop off their phones. Apple users should turn off the Find my iPhone function, remove the iCloud account and remove the screen lock password.  Android users should log out of Google and Samsung accounts and remove the screen lock password. The final step is to remove all data from the phone.

The specially marked recycling bins are now located in Winton Woods at the Mill Golf Course clubhouse and Meadow Links & Golf Academy; Sharon Woods Sharon Centre and Sharon Woods Golf Course clubhouse; Glenwood Gardens Cotswold Visitor Centre; Little Miami Golf Center clubhouse; Woodland Mound Seasongood Nature Center; The Vineyard golf clubhouse; and the Miami Whitewater Forest visitor center and Miami Whitewater Forest Golf Course clubhouse. All sites are indoors.

Great Parks continues to be a recognized leader in conservation by fostering a variety of sustainability programs including the installation of 370 recycling bins earlier this spring and collecting a total of 27 tons of holiday lights in the eight years of the annual recycling program.

More information is available at the Cellphone Recycling Program webpage.