Auto manufacturer DaimlerChrysler is donating the proceeds from the sale of 3,000 cell phones to The Lighthouse, a local Michigan charity.

The Wireless Service, based in Oakland County, Mich., recycles cell phones on behalf of assistance programs and functions as an intermediary between corporate and charitable clients. They are handling the DaimlerChrysler phones.

More than 135 million cell phones end up in landfills each year. “You don’t want these things to end up in landfills,” said Dave Knuth, DaimlerChrysler’s voice and wireless operations manager. “Just like computers or any form of electronics, if cell phones are not handled properly and end up in a landfill, they create tremendous amounts of toxic waste.” Out-of-service cell phones can be re-purposed for secondary markets, the proceeds of which are donated to charities. The Wireless Service scrubs the personal data from each phone.