Having the latest technology, especially cellphones, are definitely wants. You can live without a cellphone. I normally get a new cell phone every 2-3 years. I didn't consider the environmental impact of these purchases until I calculated my carbon footprint. Cellphones have become the most central objects in our lives. According to http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technol … hones.html we tend to use a phone for only about 18 months or a staggering 12 months in the U.S, long before the lifespan average of a phone which is about 5 years. Cell phones are a serious burden on the environment, using up power and precious materials before heading to landfill. In the developing countries where they are dismantled, they can end up in the rivers and soil, where they help contribute to cancer, damage to the nervous system and to brain development in children.

Cell phones contain an astonishing array of toxic chemicals. All those toxins mean your phone counts as hazardous waste. Right now the recycling rate in the U.S for cell pho nes is only 10%. If we recycled the 130 million or so cell phones we throw away every year, we would save enough energy to power over 24,000 homes according to http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/03/eff … ll-phones/. I know most teenagers, including me, beg their mom constantly for a cellphone just because they want the new update or because their camera is broken. Every time you get a new phone, think about the impact it has on the environment when you dump your old cellphone. Instead, recycle your old phone and save energy. Remember, cellphones are a want, not a need.