Where To Dispose Of Old Cell Phones – When you upgrade your phone, what do you do with the old one? Some people will pass on their old phone if it is working. However, if they break in any way, many people either keep them lying around as a mess or throw them in the trash. However, there is an alternative, you can recycle your phones as a more environmentally friendly solution!
You might wonder why you can’t throw the old phone in the trash because it seems harmless enough. However, cell phones contain toxins that can harm the environment if they end up in landfills. Few people are aware of the process of recycling phones, but it is actually quite a simple process. You just need to find a company that specializes in cell phone recycling. It’s as easy as a quick Google search and dropping off your phone at the nearest recycling point.
Where To Dispose Of Old Cell Phones
Of course, it’s even more beneficial to try to reduce technological waste as much as possible before recycling. Phones last longer than you might expect. Even though your phone may fail after two years, some phones can last up to nine years if repaired. There are many companies involved in recycling mobile phones rather than throwing them away. There are even non-profit organizations that donate your old phone to those in need. Table of contents Can old phones be recycled? Why should you recycle old mobile phones? Old devices and electronic waste before you recycle your unwanted mobile phones Batteries and recycling centers How do you recycle old mobile phones? 1. Cell Phone Retail Stores 2. Donating Cell Phones to Charity 3. Manufacturer Mailing Programs 4. Shop at an Electronics Store 5. Use a Recycling Kiosk 6. Special Community Recycling Facility 7. Recycle Your Old Phones Shopping Smart Is the Best Way to Limit Cell Phone Waste in America Today almost everyone has a mobile phone. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 97% of Americans own a cell phone. A typical smartphone lasts about three years. Ultimately, however, cell phones suffer from operational problems. The batteries run out or the screen breaks. Then it’s time for a new phone! Many will be surprised; so what do we do with old cell phones? Thinking of upgrading your mobile phone? Or are you looking for a new phone because your old one is broken? In addition to buying a new phone, you need to decide what to do with your old phone. Your mobile phone contains valuable materials. This includes metals such as silver, plastic and other components. So recycling is the best solution. Can old phones be recycled? You may be wondering if it is even possible to recycle a cell phone. In fact, the number of recycled cell phones is increasing. But the sad reality is that around 130 million cell phones end up in the trash every year. If they were recycled instead, they would generate enough energy to power 24,000 homes. Recycling a used mobile phone is done either by reusing the parts or by removing the materials for reuse in other applications. Why should you recycle old mobile phones? Unfortunately, less than half of all electronics in the United States are recycled. You should not just throw your old mobile phone in the trash. Not only is this bad for the environment, but more than half of the states in the United States prohibit the disposal of electronic devices in landfills. One thing you can’t do is put your old phone in the curbside recycling. Cell phones require special processing that single-stream recycling facilities cannot handle. If you put cell phones in the curbside bin, they won’t be recycled. Most phones end up in landfills. Smartphones are made from raw materials that must be sourced, mined and processed into the phone in your hand. The display has glass and liquid crystal, and the battery is lithium metal oxide. The circuit board is made of gold, silver, lead, copper and palladium. Old devices and electronic waste Old electronics, such as mobile phones, are a significant contributor to electronic waste (e-waste). Practically all parts can be recycled. This reduces the need to procure new materials to manufacture new mobile phones. In fact, the less precious metals we mine and extract, the better. These industries often use processes that are hazardous to the environment and not entirely sustainable in the long term. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that for every million cell phones recycled, 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, 35,000 pounds of copper, and 33 pounds of palladium are recovered. More than 150 million mobile phones are thrown away every year, so it can be seen that the amount of recoverable metals is significant. Some of the non-recyclables are toxic and non-biodegradable. This type of e-waste should be properly treated as hazardous waste instead of ending up in our landfills. Before you recycle your unwanted cell phones Before you recycle or give away your phone, take some privacy precautions. First, copy and transfer all the data on your phone to your new device or cloud storage. Then remove all your personal data and all images and downloads from your phone. Also remove the SIM card. As a last step, perform a factory reset to restore your phone to its original factory settings. This ensures that no personal information remains in hidden parts of the phone’s memory. Batteries and recycling centers Your phone’s battery may need to be recycled separately. Because these types of batteries cannot be mailed, do not leave them in your phone when you mail the phone to the manufacturer’s recycling program. Batteries can be recycled at a nearby hazardous waste recycling facility. Also, not all recycling programs require accessories such as batteries, cables or cases. Be sure to ask before handing these in with your old phone. How are old mobile phones recycled? In most cases, mobile phones sent for recycling are broken down into separate parts and melted down. This removes the precious metals, glass and plastic from the phone. A ton of mobile phones can yield up to half a kilo of gold and up to 300 pounds of copper. If the cell phone is still functional, it is often refurbished and donated or sold. Parts from broken cell phones can also be combined to make a working cell phone or combined with new parts to make a new cell phone. Finally, after recycling your cell phone, what should you do with the cell phone case? Most cell phone cases are made of plastic that cannot be recycled. If it’s in good shape, you can try to sell it or offer it for free on a neighborhood sales group like Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor. Where can you recycle old mobile phones? 1. Cell Phone Retail Stores This is probably the easiest way to recycle your cell phone. When buying new, ask if the store has a recycling program. You can simply leave your old phone with them when you leave. The store then sends the phone to a partner recycler for processing. 2. Donate cell phones to charity If your old cell phone still works, there are several programs that accept and recycle them: SecondWave recycles or resells donated phones and sends the proceeds to its charity partners. The 911 Mobile Bank refurbishes old cell phones and gives them to vulnerable and needy residents of communities across the country, including the elderly, victims of abuse, women’s shelters and teachers. Medic collects old used mobile phones for healthcare workers in Asia and Africa. NCADV, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, sells refurbished electronics, with proceeds going to fund its programs and projects supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence. Cell Phones for Soldiers uses the sale of donated phones to send prepaid international calling cards to troops overseas. 3. Manufacturer Mailing Programs Major retail manufacturers such as Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T run recycling programs. They make it as easy as possible by allowing you to post on your old cell phone or drop it off at a retail store. Some retailers will give you a gift card in exchange for your old phone, or even a credit toward the purchase of a new device. Share this infographic. 4. Trade-in at an electronics store You don’t have to go directly to the manufacturer of your particular cell phone to participate in a trade-in program. Some electronics retailers, including Best Buy and Staples, offer recycling options for used phones. These locations also often accept cell phone accessories like cases and cables, and some offer gift cards in exchange. 5. Use a recycling kiosk
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