source: Wikipedia ; CC license
New technology creates new opportunities and new problems alike. Could you imagine the look you’d give us if we asked you about mobile phone recycling 20 years ago? We’d sound absolutely mad, but in less than two decades, a huge number of the population has this amazing device in their pocket. In turn, cell phones get replaced, and like so much of our waste, we stop thinking about it after it’s gone. New technologies create new concerns, so we’ve a few things for your consideration, namely how to recycle your mobile phone, and why.
Sell It
If you were to do an internet search of, “dispose of mobile phone,” your browser will be filled with companies practically breaking their neck to buy your old phone. This is a great option. Not only can old mobile phones be treated as credit toward an upgrade, you can get a little cash as well. There are an unlimited number of companies who will buy your old phone, and where we can’t recommend one over the other, we can share some benefits. When you sell your old phone to a respected company, they have the resources to strip your phone of it’s many materials and ensure they are reused or disposed of in the appropriate way. When you sell your old mobile phone, not only do you do what’s right for the environment, but you also make a few pounds and pence in the process. That’s a huge win no matter how you slice it.
Donate It
This is our preferred option, but we down here at Rubbish Please are a lot of big hearted softies. When you donate your old cellphone to organizations like Oxfam, not only do you ensure your phone’s unusable resources go to the appropriate disposal experts, but you could help change a life. Cell phones do much more than make calls, they are a window to the world. As tools for education, socialization, and information, a refurbished phone is a massive aid. If the phone can’t be saved, it’s donation can be put toward acquiring other goods for those in need. Getting rid of your rubbish never felt so good.
Use It to Save the Planet
Donate your old, unneeded and unused cell phones to Rainforest Connection Rainforest Connection. You will not only help us save the Planet we live on by recycling the non-degradable material mobile phones are made of, but will also become a part of a great initiative – preventing illegal forest clearance. RFCx uses old mobile phones to pinpointing deforestation activity as it occurs, helping responsible agents arrive on the scene in time to interrupt the perpetrators and stop the damage.
Mobile phones are relatively new, especially as a grand social experiment. We’re lucky enough to be more active and involved than ever before in protecting the environment. We have a chance to beat this problem before it starts, so join us down at Rubbish Please and pledge to recycle, sell, or donate your phone. Your mobile phone’s life doesn’t have to be over when you hit the ‘END’ button.
