According to members of the Tulalip Lions Club, there are more than 500 million used mobile phones in the U.S., either laying unused in drawers or in our landfills, and another 125 million will be added to the discarded inventory this year.

"As members of the local community, we are striving to make a difference," said Lions Club member Linda Tolbert. "We want to help put discarded cell phones back to use by recycling and refurbishing the devices for use by battered women's centers."

In addition to providing a needed lifeline for families in distress, giving the unwanted cell phones a new purpose will also keep them out of local landfills.

Cell phones contain toxic mercury, cadmium, lead, gallium arsenide and other poisonous materials. As the metals decompose and leak into ground water, they can contaminate streams, endangering wildlife and drinking water.

Users should disconnect their cell phone service and wait about a week before donating the equipment. If the phone has a SIM (memory) card, it should be removed to protect the user's privacy.

The Tulalip Lions Club has set up bins for collection of cell phones and MP3 players at the following locations: Tulalip Tribes administration, Tulalip Health Clinic, Marysville Travel, Tulalip Cablevision, North County Outlook, Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, Allstate Insurance, Key Bank, and the security departments at the Tulalip Resort Casino and the Quil Ceda Creek Casino.

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