Recycle For Life

Participating in the Children’s Organ Transplant Association Recycle for Life program helps kids needing a life-saving transplant. 

COTA families receive 100% of the current recycling value for each recyclable cell phone and spent printer ink cartridge collected by volunteers.  The amount received varies per item and is determined by the recycler based on current market values.  A minimum of 8 phones and/or 18 ink cartridges must be collected prior to shipping.  Note that no bag-type or analog phones are accepted and no toner cartridges are accepted. 

How to Participate

Follow these simple steps to make a difference in a child’s life!

  1. Set up collection sites in your community.
  2. Spread the word about the need for used cell phones/ink cartridges and promote the collection dates and locations
  3. Collect a minimum of 8 used cellular phones and/or 18 ink cartridges and/or 8 laser cartridges. 
  4. Submit your results to COTA via mail, fax, or email.  Click on Recycling Results Form to download the results form.   
  5. You will be sent mailing containers and labels.  Allow two weeks to receive your supplies.
  6. Pack the phones and cartridges you collected and send them to the recycler.  Please remember to pack ink cartridges and phones in separate boxes.
  7. Funds will be dispersed approximately 60 days after recycled items are received.  

Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: Do we need to include the phone’s SIM Card?
A: The recycler does not need the SIM card; it may contain your personal phone information and your address book.  It is not used or recycled in any way. 

Q: Do we leave the memory card in the phone?
A: Leave the memory card in the phone, especially if it’s needed for the phone to work.

Q: What do I do with Chargers / Car Chargers/ Accessories/ Manuals?
A: They will be recycled, but they do not have a monetary value to the recycler.  You will not get any proceeds from recycling them.

Q: Will I need to delete the phone memory?
A: Don’t worry about trying to erase information programmed into your phones.  Part of the recycling process is reformatting the phone, which erases everything that has been downloaded or entered into the phone.  Things like pictures, address info, games and MP3s will all be deleted by the recycler.

Q: Is there any value to broken phones?
A: Broken phones are recycled for the parts or the precious metals - nothing winds up in a landfill.

Q: Do the phones we collect need to be the newest models?
A: Older phones are recycled, but reformatted to remove personal information and programmed exclusively for use as emergency phones.  They are donated to organizations that work with abuse shelters, senior groups and law enforcement.  

Why Recycle?

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  • Easy to organize and promote.
  • Untapped revenue potential.
  • No products to buy.
  • No cost to your committee or organization.
  • Benefits COTA families.
  • Environmentally friendly

An estimated 130 million wireless phones are discarded
each year.

Recycling Results Form

Donate to Children's Organ Transplant Association
Find a COTA Family

Making Miracles:

“Harley being alive today is a miracle. Literally one day he was playing tennis at school and the next day we were rushed to cardiac ICU. Two weeks after that he was on the waiting list for a new heart. Our miracle … our now healthy Harley … is one that likely would not have occurred without COTA by our side.”

Sonya Duffer, Mother of Harley