Why it’s Important to Recycle Your Old Mobile Phone?

Recycle Old Phones

Whether you like to stay at the very cutting edge of technology or you change your phone less often than you move house, there will come a time when you’re ready to trade in one handset for another. If you’re looking to get some cash for your old handset, then mobile phone recycling is one of the best ways to go about it.

How it works

You may not think much of your two-year-old handset, but it can be an invaluable lifesaver for someone in a developing country or remote location. As long as your phone can make and receive calls and texts, it can be used by someone else, whether it plays the latest version of Angry Birds or not. Phone recycling makes these handovers simple.

All of the hard work is done for you. The phone recycling company you sign up with (and there are a number to choose from) will have the contacts and expertise in place to deal with your mobile in the best way, whether that’s reselling it elsewhere or recycling individual components within the handset.

Most phone recycling companies operate along similar lines, but there might be a few small differences. Check the packing and postage fees and make sure that your chosen firm deals with your gadget in an ethical and legal way (there should be such details on its website).

Why it’s important to recycle and reuse

Experts estimate there are currently 80 million potentially toxic and redundant mobile handsets in the UK alone. In fact, there are so many of them that they account for one to two per cent of all electronic waste.

All mobile phones, like computers, contain highly toxic materials. This means that they need to be disposed of in an ethical and environmentally sound way. This does not constitute chucking them into a rubbish tip on your way to work: there are more than a handful of different ways you can get rid of your mobile in the right way.

• Donating it to a charity who will distribute it to a country in need
• Getting in touch with your council to find out if they run an electronics recycling unit
• If your phone is a recently-released smartphone, try selling it to someone you know
• Alternatively, get in touch with your network provider to find out if they run any recycling programmes.

Money for mobiles

If you choose to sign up for phone recycling from Virgin Media or any other network or firm, you’ll be rewarded with cash. There are typically a number of payment options available, and you might get more than you think for your ageing handset, with payments of £20 and upwards not uncommon. As long as it’s in working order, you can strike a deal (some companies even accept broken phones, too).

Certain phones hold their value better than others and, as the years go by, even the most state-of-the-art mobiles start to depreciate, but it’s certainly better than getting nothing. What’s more, you can rest easy in the knowledge that your old mobile is benefiting someone else or being carefully disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

You could put the spare cash towards a brand new handset, for example, or treat yourself to a few apps for your latest phone. The longer you wait, though, the less money you’ll get for the old model. So if phone recycling sounds appealing, don’t delay in getting a quote – today.

via:http://www.greenhomedesign.co.uk/recycle-your-old-mobile-phone/