Recycling Phones for Cash is a Good Idea

There are many reasons you should recycle your mobile phone. The first being that you will benefit from it, not only from the money you receive, but from knowing that your discarded mobile phone is not doing any damage to the environment by languishing in landfill sites.

When you read the instructions on a packet of batteries, it always says to dispose of the batteries properly after use as everyone knows that batteries contain nasty environment damaging chemicals. Just like batteries (and most electronic devices) mobile phones are exactly the same and contain some materials that could cause damage to the environment. The most damaging chemicals found in mobile phones are hidden in the battery as well as the circuit board. And seeing as most broken discarded mobile phones are broken because of the battery, throwing them into a landfill site is criminal! In my opinion, mobile phones should also come with a guide to safe disposal.

Currently, the WEEE (waste electrical or electronic equipment) regulations state that all mobile phone companies are obliged to take back any old mobile phones, cables and charging ports for recycling when a customer buys a new mobile. Although this rule is relatively unknown, most of the main mobile companies, such as Orange and Virgin, have brought in an ‘old for new’ style recycling scheme. They simply ask that the consumer sends their old mobile directly to them or to a mobile phone recycling company, when they buy a new phone.

Apart from the environmental benefits, don’t forget that you will also benefit by receiving a sum of money. The younger your mobile phone, the more money you are likely to receive for it. So if for example you bought an Iphone and now you’re upgrading to an Iphone 3G, you can get £100 for the older Iphone to put towards your Iphone 3G. The old Iphone will then be reconditioned and sold to another consumer so its life goes one! And you won’t be responsible for any damaging chemicals seeping into the environment and causing harm to animals and plants. And you need not worry about postage costs either, as most mobile phone recycling companies pay for postage and postage materials for you.