Save the Planet and Make Money Thanks to Your Old Mobile

With new handsets coming thick and fast from an ever increasing number of manufacturers, mobile phones are consistently getting replaced by newer, more advanced models. Anyone who has ever anxiously awaited an upgraded handset on their phone contract understands just how much fervour surrounds the acquisition of a new handset.

Up until relatively recently, the flipside of the handset upgrade culture was a drawer or cupboard piled high with an ever growing heap of outdated mobile phones. Even though these old phones were fully operational (in most cases), the allure of the new shiny upgrade and the fact that many phones are 'locked' to a specific network prevented them from being used or even passed on to friends and family. This mobile phone graveyard was a common occurrence until some bright spark had the idea of collecting in these mobile phones and giving them a fresh lease of life. The benefits provided by the creation of this whole new industry are multitudinous.

Environmental

By preventing unwanted handsets from ending up in landfill sites, or their batteries from leaking toxic substances, phone recycling initiatives provide a great service to the environment at large. In addition to preventing damage through the dumping of handsets, the act of recycling the phone also offers benefits in itself. A high percentage of the mobile phones sold to phone recycling companies are up to date and well maintained enough to be refurbished and re-used. These refurbished handsets may be sold at a discounted rate to the consumer or used as replacements for lost or broken handsets by insurance companies. These re-used handsets make a small dent in the number of new mobile phones which need to produced - thus reducing consumption of raw materials.

Those mobile phones which are not refurbished also do their part in helping the eco cause. Plastic cases are melted down and used in the production of new plastic items such as traffic cones or plastic sheeting, whilst small quantities of valuable metal within the electronics of the phone can be salvaged for use in jewellery or manufacturing.

Financial

The main difference between the earliest incarnation of the mobile phone recycling industry and its current form is the financial benefit to the provider of the handset to be recycled. Originally, phone recycling companies would simply provide a freepost envelope or a place in which to deposit the obsolete handset - now there is some serious money to be made in selling your old phones. Sums as high as £200 are offered for the latest handsets (provided they are in tip-top condition) and even an old phone can be transformed into a cheque for £10 or so.

Given the personal financial gain and peace of mind from an environmental perspective that is provided by mobile phone handset recycling, there is literally no excuse for not making the most of this brilliant service.