Easy Cell Phone Recycling

San Diego-based company EcoATM has developed a novel way to encourage consumers to recycle their old cell phones. The company’s Automated eCycling Station works like an ATM. A customer enters a cell phone into the kiosk, which uses cameras to determine the used phone’s value. Then it spits out a trade-up coupon for a new phone, or store credit to be used at the kiosk’s location. EcoATM announced last week that its electronics recycling machine was successful in its initial Omaha location, and it plans to launch machines in Seattle, Dallas, Boston, and San Diego before the end of this year, with a larger roll-out planned for 2010.