PORTLAND -- Multnomah County is trying to help citizens get a little greener by hosting a cell phones recycling collection service.
People can drop off used cell phones in the Multnomah Building and these 10 other collection centers throughout the county:
Multnomah Building
McCoy Building
North Portland Health Clinic
Elections Building
Yeon Annex
Mid-County Health Clinic
Multnomah County East Building
Central Library
Midland Library
Hillsdale Library
Gresham Library
The county is partnering with Wireless Alliance - an electronics recycler - to collect and recycle community phones and MP3 players.
There is no cost to the county or to residents who bring in their equipment.
"Cell phones and other electronic equipment in our waste stream are unnecessary and can leach toxic substances into the water and air," said County Commissioner Jeff Cogen. "There are safe ways to recycle cell phones and mp3 players and I'm glad that we are making this service accessible to our residents."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, toxic metals and other materials present in cellular phones include lead, chromium VI, and brominated flame retardants.
