Old Phones Never Die – They Just Keep on Going

Old Phones Never Die – They Just Keep on Going
If you are one of those people who like to keep up to date with the latest technologies then chances are you have a drawer somewhere at home that has a few old handsets hidden away in it. As more and more people see their handsets as a fashion accessory the industry is facing a mountain of out of date handsets that need to be disposed of.

With an estimated 20 million people in the UK alone upgrading their phone once every 12 months, this means that there are literally millions of phones just lying around doing nothing. Selling old handsets is not always an option as so many people get one for free with a contract deal. If you throw it out with the household rubbish then it could harm the environment when it reaches landfill. The good news is that there are many more options these days.

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Selling Options
Not everyone knows that an old mobile phone can be recycled. Check out how to remove any personal information from the phone and it can be passed on to a recycling company easily.
This is also a good way to earn a few pounds. Very old handsets tend not to be worth anything but if you have a phone that is less than 18 months old and is a top grade smartphone then it can be worth a great deal more. Most of the companies that offer this type of recycling service will even send you a postal bag that you can send it off in, so you do not even have to cover the cost of postage yourself.

The phones can then be refurbished and passed on to suppliers in poorer countries or the materials that were used to make them can be salvaged from the phone and used to make other items.
Consider organisations such as envirofone or Mazuma.com. If there are materials in the phone that cannot be reused or recycled then they will be disposed of properly so that they do not harm the environment. It is also very easy to find out how much they will pay you for your phone as you simply pay a visit to the website and enter the model number with a few details and it will give you a price.

Network Recycling Options
Another point of call is your mobile network provider. Some have a recycling system where they will accept old handsets back. Vodafone and O2 will both accept back old mobiles. With O2 you do not even have to be one of their customers. With this type of scheme you have the option of donating the money from the phone to one of a number of charities. The networks want to remove as many old phones from circulation as possible so that people will buy new phones.

Charity
You can also consult several environmental organisations who can take your old phone off your hands. These include the Carbon Trust and Global Action Plans. While recycling your mobile phone you can also learn more about other ways to help the environment. Think about the positive effect recycling your handset can have on the future.

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