This article explains about cell phone recycling how to recycle cell phones. Complete procedure is explain below.
In the past few days, we’ve been discussing cell phone recycling in our posts. Today, let’s look at the different cell phone recycling options available to you.
So, how do you recycle cell phones?
Recycle cell phones by extending usage.
How? Give your used cell phones to a family member or a friend. It’s a convenient cell phone recycling option, every time you discard a cell phone or forced to retire one as you switch carriers. Remember, however, that you’re merely extending the usage or life cycle of the handset you’re giving away. Do put in a word for cell phone recycling with the person you’re giving it to, so you’ll know when the time comes for her to retire the unit, she will dispose of it responsibly.
Recycle cell phones through the manufacturer or carrier.
Cell phone makers like Apple, Nokia, T-Mobile, Samsung and service providers like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all have cell phone recycling or take-back programs. You can visit their websites or retail kiosks for information on where you can drop off or mail in old cell phones. This is an extremely viable option as these companies will recycle cell phones responsibly since they benefit from it, too, by having a steady stream of materials for production coming from recycled phones.
Recycle cell phones by donating it to your charity of choice.
This is a very convenient option for many and it helps charitable and non-profit organizations gather funds to finance their community, health, or environmental projects. An organization makes money from the cell phones you donate to it, by selling these phones to the large cell phone recycling or refurbishing companies like Pacebutler Corporation. Most zoos and theme parks in the US have cell phone collection boxes located in convenient spots inside their premises. Some of these zoos and parks are doing this for charity while others do it for conservation fund drives to save African Gorillas.
Click here to donate cell phones to a non-profit organization
Recycle cell phones by starting or hosting a cell phone collection campaign in your neighborhood or community.
If you want to start such a project in your own city or neighborhood, you can network with other non-profit organizations and even ask for material support from the cell phone recycling companies. You will be provided with materials like posters, collection boxes, pre-paid shipping labels, postcards, and all the information needed to succeed in your campaign.
Even if you do it for yourself, or for business and profit, you can still ask for help from companies or government agencies. Everyone wants you to succeed in such a drive. In some states, like California, for instance, laws have been passed outlawing the disposal of cell phones in trash bins, just to encourage people to recycle cell phones, instead.
The simple truth is that when you collect and recycle cell phones to raise funds for charity or conservation, or personal profit you not only help protect our environment, but you’ve successfully put to good use something that would otherwise have been useless, gathering dust in a sock drawer somewhere, or worse, leaking deadly chemicals in some municipal landfill.
Recycle cell phones through recycling and refurbishing companies.
This is a fast and convenient option and most transactions are done online. The process is straightforward, and the turn-around time until you receive your check is usually within 4 business days after the company received your cell phones. You can sell your old cell phones to Pacebutler Corporation. What happens here is that the cell phone recycling or refurbishing company will refit serviceable cell phones and market these to wholesale buyers, both here in the US and abroad. Non-working phones are recycled completely for the precious metals and other materials.
Click here to sell used cell phones to Pacebutler
We’ve outlined in our previous posts the dangers posed by improper disposal of cell phone and other electronic waste in our landfills, the vastly untapped material resources (precious metals, etc.) found in used cell phones, as well as the viewpoints of people who refuse or neglect to recycle their old phones.
Hopefully, the cell phone recycling options we’ve discussed today will help in showing people the ease and convenience to recycle cell phones here in the US. Cell phone recycling in America at the current rate of less than 10 percent has a long, long way to go. But if each of us will do his or her part and recycle cell phones we’ve planned to retire this year, that individual act will definitely have a tremendous effect in our nationwide effort.
As the slogan featured in the EPA cell phone recycling page says, “Recycle cell phones, it’s an easy call to make.”
17 responses so far ↓
1 Cheap LAX Parking // Jun 23, 2008 at 11:35 am
Thank you for the article. I was in the situation only once, when I wanted to recycle my cell phone, and in the shop I used to fill my account (T-Mobile, Europe) there was a sign that people should leave their old phone there to recycle. So I put there the oldie, but the guys in the shop hardly accepted it, and I am afraid that the old cell ended up in the trash can when I left.
2 Kirk // Oct 16, 2008 at 1:01 pm
“recycle cell phones by starting or hosting a cell phone collection campaign in your neighborhood or community”
this is a very good idea i think, the number of unused cellphones these days is just mind boggling… this should help to properly dispose of them, and perhaps earn a little cash too… 🙂
3 David B // Nov 7, 2008 at 6:34 am
A store I worked for here for some time had a large cardboard box at the front of the store (it was a shoe store) that said “recycle your cell phones here) – it was a nice looking cardboard box, and it looked ‘official’ – and I was amazed that within a month the box was nearly full of recycled phones. We took them to a local hard to recycle place and they shipped them off for recycling.
I think it is really great when retailers help to make it convenient for people to drop off and recycle phones. When it isn’t convenient, most people don’t do it.
4 Dave Dugdale // Nov 10, 2008 at 9:38 am
I have a Treo 700 and next week when my Sprint contract is up I am going to get an IPhone. To me the Treo is not worth much anymore, but I am guessing it might be worth a bit to someone else even though it does not have 3G and WiFi.
I guess I could sell it on Ebay, but the wife hates it when people come over to our house to buy something – she thinks it is creepy.
So I guess I can recycle it or I give it away to a friend that needs one AND has Sprint.
Not sure which way to go.
5 Cell Phone Recycling | iPhone Recycling Blog // Nov 24, 2008 at 9:33 pm
[…] How to recycle cell phones […]
6 Fia // Dec 19, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Even though it is smaller amounts it is a good idea to pay a small reward to the consumer for recycling the cell phones. I am about to send 3 old phones to PaceButler and that should be worth $21.
The phone collection boxes is a good idea too, but needs to be expanded. I don’t remember having seen any of these boxes.
7 Yahoo // Jan 7, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Instead of recycling them, you can sell them on eBay. People love to buy used cell phones for some reason
8 Tork // Jan 8, 2009 at 5:08 am
Do people hesitate to recycle phones because they worry that their old phone might contain personal information, like their contact lists and in some cases photos, etc?
9 Steven Greenberg // Jan 10, 2009 at 11:41 am
I think this is a good idea. The more we can recycle, the better. Otherwise, we’re just wasting valuable resources.
10 La'Nijah Childs // Jan 15, 2009 at 8:59 am
this is very interesting…. im in the 12th grade @ CCJSHS & never thought about recycling my cell phones until now….
11 Recycling // Jan 19, 2009 at 3:46 am
It is a brilliant idea. Nice sharing
12 luke needham // Apr 21, 2009 at 3:04 pm
will someone pay you to recycle these cell phones like other recycleables?
13 Michael // Apr 21, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Luke, cell phones received by refurbishing companies like Pacebutler are generally refitted and resold for a profit to wholesale buyers, as explained above. Unserviceable cell phones are recycled for materials like plastic, glass, gold, coltan, etc., just like other recyclables.
14 Stephanie Morales // May 15, 2009 at 4:30 pm
That is a very helpful article. I get tired of the same cell phone and about every 6 months to a year or so I get a new one. My old ones still work, they are not in the best condition, but hey, if I can get some kind of money for them, insteard of them sitting in my drawer, I will. Even if I cant get a lot of money, you mentioned that the money can be given to charity and I am always looking for a way to help.
15 Trigon // Nov 16, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Interesting article and information. We’re an IT Company in Pennsylvania. Any information on recycling computers?
16 Michael // Nov 16, 2009 at 9:01 pm
@Trigon, thanks for your comment. Here are 2 articles on computer recycling you might want to read:
“Recycle Your Computer – Our Only Option”
http://www.pacebutler.com/blog/recycle-computer/
“Computer Recycling – Don’t Be A Victim”
http://www.pacebutler.com/blog/computer-recycling/
17 Congo Gold | Pacebutler Blog // Dec 3, 2009 at 9:29 am
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