Going Green - How To Recycle Or Donate Your Cell Phone

By Author: Jamie Hanson
Total Articles: 3495
Comment this article

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 ignore: recycling our old electronics. Cellular phones are perhaps one of the most prevalent electronics that end up in landfills. Under most contracts, you are entitled 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, rejected and unwanted cell phones thrown around quickly adds up.

Like all electronics, cell phones are manufactured from highly engineered materials, most of which can be repurposed and reused and some of which (such as the substances in batteries) is toxic in a landfill. Recycling electronics, or eCycling, is the best way to put these valuable materials back to better use and avoid drawing further on the Earth's natural resources.

You may recycle the phone sell or donate to someone. Each of these routes are far more advantageous 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 obvious 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 both reuse old cell phone parts and batteries or dispense 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.

Various retailers and manufacturers also give 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" is to be filled with cell phones, laptops and various items and brought in to an Office Depot to be transpoted for processing.

Donating your Cell Phone

There are numerous charitable organizations that accept cell phones for various causes. Identical to the recycling programs given by cell phone providers and electronics dealers, you might either mail-in your cell phone or drop it off at a local place. You may donate to a like minded charity. 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 inquire locally to ascertain if your cell phone is required.

Selling Your Cell Phone for Cash

If you have a reasonably recent model cell phone and would like to realize a bit of return on it, you can all the time sell it for cash. Numerous services on the Internet will purchase used cell phones. Most will either inquire that you submit information about your phone or will have an online rate sheet for your reference.

Eco ATM kiosk buy instantly. These automated kiosks will automatically ascertain the value of your phone and either print out an in-store trade up coupon or gift card. You can opt for recycling.

Erasing Your Information

Before giving away 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 securely 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. Whether you are selling it for some quick cash, donating it to a charitable cause or recycling it, properly divesting your self of your old, unused cell is far better for the Earth and its denizens than throwing it in the trash.

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