How and Why You Should Recycle Your Cell Phone

Do you keep putting your old phones away in a drawer because, like most of us, you have no clue how to dispose them? Or maybe you're like the other half of us who throws their phones away once they're broken or far beyond usable condition. All these things are just big mistakes we’re making. For many reasons discussed ahead, we should really recycle phones. To find out exactly why and how to, continue reading on!

Why We Need to Recycle Phones

According to research carried out by smart software company Phobio, there are more than 2.3 billion smartphones in use around the globe. By the year 2020, this figure is forecasted to grow by 25 percent.

With so many smartphones in use, there is a huge potential for waste, bringing with it the excellent opportunity to recycle all these smartphones once they are replaced. It is important that these phones are recycled because they contain plastic, copper and many precious metals. By recycling phones, these precious metals will be conserved.

By recycling your phone, you can also help protect the environment. This is because many phones contain hazardous materials such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium. All these materials should be dealt with in a proper manner through recycling so that they don’t end up in landfills contaminating the water and air there.

How to Recycle Phones

Now that you know why recycling phones is so important, we move on to how you can do this. There are many different ways you can recycle your phone. Some of these methods are discussed below.

Sell Electronics Back to Your Carrier

You can sell your phone to your mobile carrier. Most carriers are ready to buy back your phone in order to recycle it or refurbish it and sell it again. So instead of throwing it away, simply sell your phone for cash back to your carrier. Sometimes the carrier might give you some amount for the old phone, or at other times they might deduct the amount from your next bill.

Places That Buy Phones

If you want to sell your phone and are looking for places that recycle phones, then we’ve listed down below a few places that buy phones to recycle them.

· Sell to retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, Office Depot, Staples, Lowe’s or Ace Hardware,

· Sell electronics online through eBay, where you will find many eager buyers willing to buy your old phones to use them for their parts.

· Sell electronics online through buyback websites that usually pay higher than your carrier. Simply type in cell phone buyback on google and you will be able to find several buyback companies.

Parting Words - Remember to Recycle!

By now, you must have understood why we need to recycle phones. Apart from helping the environment, you can also earn some extra cash when you sell your phone. It is also advantageous because many carriers or retail outlets might offer you discounts when you bring in your old electronics. So always remember, that instead of letting all your gadgets gather dust in some drawer at home, sell them so they can be recycled!