1) When cell phones and PDAs are collected by Recycling Appeal USA, they are sorted and any SIM cards left in phones are removed to ensure client data security.
2) Cell phones and batteries are tested to determine whether they are fit for reuse. If the screens are not damaged, the phones themselves can take and hold a charge, have an aerial in place and can power up and off, then they are deemed fit for reuse.
3) Cell phones that are deemed fit for reuse are refurbished prior to resale. Often this simply involves a new fascia, battery, keypad etc.
4) Cell phones that are fit for reuse are sorted by make and model. They are then dispatched to distributors and sold worldwide as an affordable alternative to new cell phones.
5) Cell phones that are not fit for reuse are transported to an electronic recycling specialist who will evaluate the phones and determine which phones may have components which would be reused.
6) Any cell phones that may have components with resale value are broken down into their constituent parts such as chips and circuit boards by hand. It is then determined which of these parts can be resold.
7) Any remaining components are sent to a precious metals recovery facility where precious and base metals are extracted from the electronic scrap using a combined furnace and water separation process. The resulting metal is then segregated and verified using a number of different methods.
