Verizon recycling program fights domestic violence

analysis
Nov 14, 20071 min

November and December are busy months for me. There's Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Channukah, my parents' anniversary, my sister's birthday, my brother-in-law's birthday, my own birthday, and my dad's birthday. So I hope I can be forgiven for not realizing until today that tomorrow, Nov. 15, is America Recycles Day. (Spare a tree, please; don't send me a card.) Yes, it's easy to be a bit cynical about

November and December are busy months for me. There’s Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Channukah, my parents’ anniversary, my sister’s birthday, my brother-in-law’s birthday, my own birthday, and my dad’s birthday. So I hope I can be forgiven for not realizing until today that tomorrow, Nov. 15, is America Recycles Day. (Spare a tree, please; don’t send me a card.)

Yes, it’s easy to be a bit cynical about the host of arbitrary “holidays” that clutter our calendars. (National Kazoo Day will be on Jan. 28; better start preparing.) But I can get behind America Recycles Day, especially when I learn about programs such as Verizon’s HopeLine.

The way it works is, Verizon collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries, and accessories in any condition — from any wireless service provider — at its Communications Stores nationwide. Phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse; those that can’t are disposed of in an environmentally sound way. That part is good for the environment. Proceeds go toward providing wireless phones and cash grants to shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic-violence prevention and awareness.