5 Simple Ways to Recycle Your Old Mobile Phone Safely

We’re living in an era where we get to witness history as it happens, yet barely keep up with it, given how fast everything is changing. Once changes are mentioned, technology often comes to mind, given that AI has entered our lives and can change the world overnight. To gain the most benefits from these technological changes, you need to be equipped with the best devices, featuring proper hardware that supports fast performance and powerful processing.

As a result, people are racing to upgrade their devices as soon as they roll out. While a Vodafone UK study found that the average Brit changes their phone every 4 years if it is not accidentally damaged, another study found that 45% of the UK would rather get a new phone than repair a damaged one.

Without getting into the depressing details of how environmentally harmful this practice is, let’s leave you with this thought: manufacturing ONE single smartphone produces up to 70kg of CO2 emissions, according to the European Environment Agency (and most of those end up in landfills once they’re no longer in use!).

So, what to do?

First, if the manufacturing of new phones is an avoidable harm, let’s focus on what we can control: how to recycle old mobile phones safely for you and the environment.

In this post, we’re sharing the simplest and most effective ways to recycle your old mobile phone. But first, let’s talk about why you MUST recycle.

Your Mobile Phone’s Future: E-Waste or New Life

You may not think it’s a common practice to toss an old phone in the bin, but, believe it or not, 25 million mobile phones go to the bin yearly in the UK; that, of course, doesn’t include the several million others being hoarded in drawers for fear of data theft.

When mobile phones are thrown away incorrectly, the most likely scenario is that they’ll end up in a landfill, be set on fire, and produce more toxic fumes, not to mention the waste of gold and other precious metals in them (yes, there’s gold in your smartphone).

To avoid this lose-lose situation, you should start recycling your old mobile phones safely and correctly.

The 5 Simple Ways to Recycle Your Old Mobile Phones Safely

There are, of course, more ways to recycle or give a new life to an old mobile phone, but these five are the easiest.

Donate to Charity or NGOs. Your old smartphone may be useless or too slow for you, but it can be a much-appreciated gift for someone in need. You don’t have to go looking for people who need a new phone. Choose a charity you trust, or head to an NGO page to learn how to send those old devices that have been sitting idle in your drawers. This way, you’re helping the planet and making fellow humans happy!

Use The Official Recycling Programs

Smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung, as well as network carriers such as O2, have recycling programs that aim to minimise the environmental harm caused by discarded phones by refurbishing or repurposing parts, depending on the device’s condition. Through the manufacturer’s or carrier’s official website, you can arrange to send your old mobiles to the experts for handling.

Sell or Trade-in

Aside from official phone manufacturers, multiple reliable businesses offer you the opportunity to turn your old mobiles into money. You can choose to sell the phone for cash or trade it in for another, better mobile phone, paying only the price difference. This way, you can make a profit and help the environment. These services will handle picking up your mobile phones (most offer free shipping), securely wiping your data, renewing the devices, and reselling them.

Repurpose at Home

If you’re not 100% ready to part ways with your old phone for any reason, don’t let it sit around without a purpose. Try using one of its properly functioning features. Maybe dedicate it as a standalone alarm clock or hang it by your front door and utilise it as a security camera. One favourite use of old phones for people who like cooking is setting them up permanently in the kitchen for viewing recipes while cooking and doubling as timers.

Work With Certified E-Waste Recyclers

If the reason you’re keeping your old phone at home is that you worry about your personal data stored on the phone without having a real use for the device anymore or the phone itself in no condition to be traded in or donated, a great solution would be to utilize the service or a certified E-waste recycling company like iWaste or E-Cycle where they ensure safely and completely whiping your data and safely disposing of the device for you.

These are the five simplest ways to recycle your old phones safely. If you are still not sure about which direction to choose, try checking our refurbished phone experts in the UK, like QwikFone, where your old mobiles will be tested, cleaned, renewed, and professionally wiped of all old data so they can be given a new life with a new user. Who says working for the environment doesn’t pay off!