Going Green - How to Recycle or Donate Your Cell Phone

We recycle our pop cans, take shorter showers, eat less meat and carpool to work. But there is one crucuial conservation measure that many of us disregard: recycling our old electronics. Cellular phones are thrown away. Under most contracts, you are allowed to a brand new phone every one to two years and with new improvements, new technologies and new features being brought in each quarter, the amount of old, old and unwanted cell phones thrown around quickly adds up.

Many elements in the cell phone are toxic and can be recycled. Recycling electronics, or eCycling, is a brilliant to put these valuable materials back to better use and avoid drawing further on the Earth's natural resources.

When it comes time to say goodbye to your old cell phone, you have a few options: recycle it, donate it or sell it for cash. Each of these routes are far more beneficial for the environment than throwing them in the dustbin and are all extremely simple.

Recycling your Cell Phone

Many facilities recycle cell phones. The most likely place to turn to is your cell phone service provider. All big cell phone companies have the ability to recycle. These providers have programs that also reuse old cell phone parts and batteries or give old cell phones to those in need through charitable organizations. Visit your cell phone providers website to learn where to ship your phone - you can often print off a free postage-paid label and mail it in without cost.

Numerous retailers and manufacturers also offer tech recycling programs, such as Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola and LG Electronics. Mail in system is with Best Buy. Office Depot sells "tech recycling boxes" could be filled with cell phones, laptops and many items and brought in to an Office Depot to be sent for processing.

Donating your Cell Phone

There are numerous charitable organizations that accept cell phones for various causes. Alike to the recycling programs offered by cell phone providers and electronics dealers, you might either mail-in your cell phone or drop it off at a local location. But to get the most out of your donation, take time to locate a charity that resonates with you or you empathize strongly with. Programs contain Cell Phones For Soldiers, The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Phones for Life (for senior citizens), Donate a Phone, Call to Collect and Collective Good. You may also want to inquire at your local church, hospital or assisted living facility to see if there is a local need for old cell phones.

Selling Your Cell Phone for Cash

If you have a reasonably recent model cell phone and would desire to realize a bit of return on it, you can at all times sell it for cash. Many services buy online also. Most will either ask that you submit information about your phone or will have an online cost sheet for your reference.

You can also sell your phone instantly at an ecoATM kiosk. These automated kiosks will automatically appraise the value of your phone and either print out an in-store trade up coupon or gift card. If your phone has little value, you also have the option to donate or recycle it.

Erasing Your Information

Before disposing of your phone, it's important to remove all personal information from your phone. The spammers can extract information from a dead phone. Consult your cell phone manufacturers instructions or use third-party software to safely and completely erase the information on your phone before donating, recycling or selling your phone. You can simply take out the SIM card.

As you can see, there are different better uses for your cell phone than disposing it to a landfill or letting it collect dust at the bottom of your junk drawer. Whatever you do with your cell phone it should environmene friendly and shall not harm the eco-sphere.


Find out more about the different types of cell phone plans and cell phones at cell-phone-plans.net