LAWMAKERS SEEK TIGHTER REGULATIONS ON CASH-FOR-PHONE KIOSKS

ANNAPOLIS – The premise seems simple: drop off an unwanted phone at a recycling kiosk, receive instant cash and keep precious metals out of landfills. Consumers and the environment both win.

But, according to some politicians, so do phone thieves. This fear has led some Maryland lawmakers to push for tighter restrictions or even outright bans on these machines.

This fall, Baltimore prohibited cash-for-phone kiosks in the city. Baltimore City Councilman Bill Henry, who initiated the measure, said the kiosks’ tendency to attract stolen phones outweighed the good done by businesses like San Francisco-based ecoATM, which has 10 kiosks in Maryland.

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