Residents asked to recycle cell phones, eye glasses

LIHU’E – Kaua’i RSVP, an organization that’s part of the Kaua‘i County Agency on Elderly Affairs, on Tuesday announced the start of a used cell phone and eyewear recycling campaign.

The used cell phone drive will benefit Kaua’i Hospice, organizers said. Cell phone companies have pledged to donate between 50 cents and $30 for each cell phone turned in, depending on the model and condition of the phone. Even broken cell phones will be accepted, according to a county news release.

Used sunglasses and prescription and reading glasses that are collected during this campaign will be sent to OneSight Global Eye Care. This charitable organization refurbishes recycled eyewear and distributes them worldwide through doctors and trained volunteers who provide free primary vision care and eyewear to people in need.

“These are simple, but important ways that our community can help others without reaching into their wallets, and at the same time help the environment,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. stated in the release.

Used eye glasses, cell phones and cell phone batteries can be dropped off at neighborhood centers on the island or at the Agency on Elderly Affairs offices at the Lihu‘e Civic Center, Pi‘ikoi Building, 4444 Rice St., Suite 330. Donations also can be taken to the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital gift shop or main lobby of Mahelona Hospital.

“Something as simple as placing your old eyeglasses or broken cell phone in a box at a neighborhood center can ultimately have a profound effect on others,” Kaua‘i RSVP Director Linda Nuland-Ames said in the news release.

RSVP is the country’s largest volunteer network for people 55 and older, with more than 400,000 members. On Kaua‘i, RSVP volunteers donate about 60,000 hours of service each year.