Today’s mobile phone technology is changing faster than most people can keep up with. The moment you think you are holding the newest and best smartphone in your hands, you will see an advertisement for something even newer and better. What this means for many people today is a drawer full of discarded, broken or technologically outdated cellphones. Luckily, today’s marketplace has provided a way to recycle cellphones the same way you would recycle plastic bags or soda cans. Even better, some programs not only recycle your old cellphones for you, but they also pay to take them off your hands. Use this guide to learn about recycling and selling iPhone or other cellphone technology.
Cellphones and Hazardous Waste
There are many reasons you don’t want to let discarded phones pile up in a drawer or — even worse —toss them in the trash. One of the most pressing reasons is hazardous waste. Often, landfills burn their waste material. Burning phones can emit toxic gasses harmful to humans and animals alike. The leftover heavy metals can also be toxic.
Image Credit : Yellomoxie
Recycling Your Phone for Money: Step by Step
Some users are “early adopters.†What this means is some people like to have the latest-and-greatest technology, even if their current device still works perfectly. For instance, if you learned a new iPhone model is coming out, you may think, “I want to sell my mobile phone as soon as that happens so I can get the newest model.†If your current iPhone is still a fairly recent model, there may be a market for it. But recycling makes selling iPhones and other popular phone technology easier; instead of searching for a buyer on your own, you can send it to the recycler, take the money and buy the new phone you want. You can sell older models no one wants and get cash for them. Some recyclers even take broken cellphones as well. Here is a step-by-step guide to earning cash as you recycle your phone.
- Identify a recycler you want to work with. The first step is to identify the recycler you want to do business with. You can look for the types of phones they accept, their shipping and payment policies, transaction time and testimonials to make your decision.
- Verify their legitimacy. Before selecting a recycler, verify the legitimacy of the business. You can do this by looking for a phone number, email address and/or physical address on the website. Finding seals verifying secure transactions are also important for verification.
- Confirm your phone’s eligibility. Recyclers will have a list of which makes and models of phones they can accept, recycle and pay for. Before proceeding further, consult the list to verify the phone(s) you want to send in are accepted by the recycler.
- Send in your phone for an estimate. Once you verify your phone is eligible for the recycler’s program, the next step is to follow their instructions to send in your phone for a value estimation. This will result in an offer.
- Accept or reject the recycler’s offer. Once you receive the value estimation and the recycler’s offer of payment, you have a period of time to accept or reject that offer. It’s up to you whether to accept or reject. If you accept the recycler’s offer, the payment is sent by check or via instant bank draft. If you reject the offer, the phone will be returned to you by post.
With such a simple, easy system that rewards you for recycling old cellphone technology, you can be on your way to saving the planet, pocketing some extra money and purchasing that brand-new smartphone you’ve been eyeing.
About the Author: Harry Kent is an entrepreneur and environmentalist.