Get Rid of an Old Cell Phone

Do you have an old cell phone tucked away in a drawer or some other hiding place? Did you know they contain hazardous materials and can pollute the environment? Would you like to do something useful with that cell phone?

Steps

  1. Prepare your old cell phone for discard. Ask yourself the following:
    • Are my contacts deleted?
    • Do I have any covers on my phone that need to be removed?
    • Is my battery removed?
  2. Call your cellular provider. You may need to stop making payments on this cell phone or transfer your number to your new cell phone.
  3. Find a cell phone collection center. Places such as Staples, Best Buy, Goodwill, or even boxes at local businesses will suffice. Make sure you're cell phone is going to a good cause.
  4. Sell it to somebody on eBay. They might pay good money for it!
  5. Repair it with a cell phone repair kit. If you can repair it, you'll save money on buying a new one!
  6. Donate it!
  7. Give it away to somebody that needs one.

Tips

  • Retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City and Staples sponsor local electronics recycling events where customers can drop off, not only cell phones, but also PC’s, monitors, televisions…any electronic device. They recognize that retail ‘take-back’ of old phones represents the lowest cost and most convenient recycling model but they don’t promote it.
  • Unfortunately, these programs are not well advertised and inconsistent – only a fraction of retail cell phone outlets are currently providing their customers with recycling options. Survey’s consistently report that employees at stores that have a recycling option don’t either neglect to inform the customer of are not aware the recycling option exists. Other surveys suggest that 90% of Americans would recycle their cell phone if there was a convenient method. Still in a recent telephone survey of wireless retailers, 20% instructed the caller to throw their old cell phone away.
  • Payouts range from just a few dollars to well over $100 depending on the model. If your cell phone was manufactured in the last two years chances are it will is eligible for purchase on sites like CellForCash.com. Currently over 600 cell phones qualify and the number grows each month as new models are introduced.
  • Many organizations partner with cell phone recyclers and hold cell phone fundraisers, accepting cell phones as donations to further their causes.
  • 5. If all else fails there are free recycling services. Simply recycling all the old retired cell phones in the closets of America can recover millions in scrap metals. According to a US Geological Survey, stockpiled cell phones have significant precious metals content – over $314 million.
  • The 911 Cell Phone Bank (www.911CellPhoneBank.org), a 501c3 public charity, accepts donations to use as emergency cell phones. Any inactive cell phone within the range of a cellular tower can make a 911 emergency call. The 911 Cell Phone Bank works with over 600 law enforcement and victim services agencies across the country to provide free emergency cell phones to at victims of crime, crime witnesses and seniors in need.
  • Cell phone service providers like Verizon, Alltel and AT&T have also implemented voluntary recycling programs. These carriers offer free in-store recycling with proceeds benefiting their favorite organizations.
  • Cell phone manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola and Nokia, have voluntarily implemented recycling programs. Most offer free recycling services on their websites or they provide postage paid recycling envelopes with all new cell phones sold.
  • While you may not want your old cell phone, the eighth grader next door could probably use it. Parents like to keep track of their kids when separated, so anyone with young children may be very happy to have your the old phone.
  • Many companies, like CellForCash.com, give value to many used cell phones currently out of commission, providing simple online services convenient to consumers and businesses alike. Most online services pay for shipping both ways and may even provide a box.
  • It is possible to fix a phone in some instances. Some people are attached to their phones and are unwilling to learn how to use a different one. Repairs may be more expensive than buying a new one, however.
  • The website www.WirelessFundraiser.com has over 400 organizations that enable donors across the country to donate to their favorite charity using their website.

Warnings

  • According to CTIA - The Wireless Association, there are over 230 million cell phone subscribers in the United States. Three out of every four Americans use a cell phone. Sexy new features and mind blowing technology keep cell phone users lusting for newer, more desirable models.
  • According to Inform Inc, a non-profit research organization which keeps tabs on such numbers, there are more than 500 million old cell phones sitting unused in drawers, closets and desks around the country. All of these contain chemicals and substances which are harmful to the environment if improperly disposed.
  • Imagine if all those cell phones, 500 million in all, were discarded in household trash over the course of a year. Over 80,000 tons of additional waste would be generated. This is not common household waste that becomes fertilizer. It has the potential to pollute.
  • As a major product of a disposable society, cell phones are potentially the biggest contributor to a looming e-waste problem. Each year over 130 million cell phones are retired; stashed away in a drawer or closet only to collect dust. As of this writing less than 5% of these phones are collected for reuse and recycling.
  • You might not think cell phone waste is a big problem since the average cell phone today weighs less than 6 ounces. However, some claim that because of the small size of the average cell phone it’s easy for a consumer to simply trash it. Maybe one person trashing a cell phone doesn’t seem like much but if each of the 230+ million cell phone subscribers trashed their old cell phones we would have a major environmental disaster.
  • According to industry statistics, the average cell phone subscriber upgrades their old cell phone every 18 months. To feed this insatiable desire for the latest and greatest cell phone, manufacturers release about 200 new models each year. Some are simply updates of previous phones, but some are radically different in style and function.
  • Why Get Rid of my Cell Phone Responsibly?
    • It is common knowledge that electronic waste, or e-waste, contains toxins that are harmful to the environment. The circuit boards in cell phones contain a myriad of toxins such as arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. Brominated flame retardants are found in the plastic housing, printed wiring board, and cables. The lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries contain heavy metals such as cobalt, zinc, and copper.
    • Many of these chemicals are Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins (PBTs) and have the potential to be released into the air when burned in incinerators or groundwater when disposed of in landfills, thus creating unnecessary threats to human health and the environment. Research by Dr. Timothy Townsend of the University of Florida for the US EPA has also found that cell phones, when disposed in landfill conditions, leach hazardous levels of lead.
    • The State of California considers cell phones to be hazardous waste and require that their disposal be managed under Universal Waste regulations. Universal Wastes must be recycled or managed as hazardous waste. Disposal at an unauthorized site or landfill is a serious crime as well as a serious environmental threat. Other states like New York and Maine are following suit.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  • www.mobilephonerecycling.com/sell-my-mobile.aspx - simple ways to sell old mobile phones
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