How to Recycle Mobile Phones and Where?

How many old mobile phones do you have stashed away in a drawer? One? Two? Three? Did you know you can recycle mobile phones to save them from landfill and make yourself some cash in the process? Here’s how to recycle mobile phones.

Why Recycle Mobile Phones?

E-waste research organisation Material Focus carried out a study back in 2017. It found that UK households and businesses throw away or hoard around 500,000 tonnes of e-waste. Among this waste are smartphones containing precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. If smartphones end up in landfill, these resources are lost. Mining for new metals causes pollution. As well as precious metals, they contain toxic metals like lead and mercury. These can leak into soil and groundwater, polluting the environment. This doesn’t just affect us, it affects marine life and delicate ecosystems too.

How Can I Recycle My Old Phone?

The average smartphone user keeps their handset for around two years before upgrading. However, that doesn’t mean your old ones need to lie around cluttering your drawers and gathering dust. There are lots of options if you want to recycle mobile phones for cash.

Before you do anything, make sure there’s nothing on your old phone, like pictures or personal information. Transfer everything to your new/current device and factory reset your old one.

Where Can I Recycle Mobile Phones

MoneySuperMarket has partnered with sellmymobile.com to create a platform where you can get cash for your old phone. There’s an overview of the most popular phones sold and a tool where you can compare cash offers.

All you have to do is:

• Visit sellmymobile.com;
• Search for the make and model of your device;
• Confirm what condition it’s in;
• Compare the cash offers from recyclers and choose the best deal;
• Package your device and post it to the recycler of choice;
• Wait for some lovely cash to arrive in your bank account!

Can I Recycle Broken or Damaged Phones?

Is your smartphone screen cracked beyond repair? Has the operating system flatlined? No problem, you can still recycle damaged mobile phones. You will still receive a cash offer, but remember that it will reflect the condition it’s in.

Got One of These Devices?

If you have one of these devices, you might be quids in, according to MoneySuperMarket:

• iPhone
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 7
• Samsung S9

These are the most popular phones people sell for decent prices. It’s definitely worth taking a look, because who couldn’t do with a bit more cash in their pocket these days?

You Can Recycle More Than Your Old Mobile

Want to recycle mobile phones and that old laptop that’s forever running slow? You can. Sellmymobile.com also shows you recyclers that accept laptops, tablets, iPads, and smartwatches.

What Will Happen to My Phone or Device?

When you recycle mobile phones or devices, most are wiped of data, refurbished, and resold. They are then sold in the UK or in developing countries.

Phones or devices that can’t be resold are dismantled. Recyclable elements like precious metals are melted down and reused in new phones or other products.

Saving the planet and saving cash? What’s not to love? Have a look online and see if you can recycle your old phones and devices. You might be surprised at what you could earn. For more interesting articles on all things recycling, check out the rest of our blog.