"2.3% of Americans recycle their old phones and 7% throw them away" - I'm guessing that means most people either have a bunch of old phones lying around their homes or they are traded in when they upgrade. Regardless, http://www.call2recycle.org/ looks like a good option for recycling(I have not used them personally, just did a bit of googling), let's save that lithium, people!
I think the author missed the point of Richardson's article. It's not about just accepting that you're a "bad programmer" and calling it a day, it's about accepting your limitations and constantly trying to improve your abilities and the tools you use. I think both of these guys are arguing for the same thing - don't get complacent.