Each year, 100 million cell phones and other electronic communication devices are no longer used, and only 10 percent of them are recycled. If each one of those unwanted devices were recycled, enough energy would be generated to power 18,500 households for a year.

Now through April 12 Hoosiers can participate in National Cell Phone Recycling Week by recycling or donating their unwanted cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and accessories.

There are two main reasons cell phones should be recycled or reused. Heavy metals in the cell phone's battery and circuitry, if released to the environment, can have a negative impact. In addition, reusing the precious metals, copper, and plastic components from these old phones conserves energy in the manufacturing process, reduces air emissions, and conserves natural resources.

The low recycling rate is primarily due to uncertainty of where to recycle the devices, so this week, cell phones and other communication devices can be dropped off at select phone distributors, including AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Office Depot, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, TMobile, and Verizon Wireless. Throughout the year, the public should check with their local solid waste management districts for information about local drop-offs or special collections.

Before dropping off or donating used electronic devices, there are certain responsibilities that should be considered: make sure the service contract is terminated, and be sure data in the phone has been erased by either manually deleting the information and removing the SIM card or by contacting the service provider or phone manufacturer for instructions. Another option is to use a data erasing tool.

For more information, visit the Recycle Indiana Web site at www.recycle.IN.gov.