Make money and help the environment. Recycle your mobile phone today!

Why Recycle your Mobile Phone

There are 3 BIG reasons to recycle your mobile phone:

1. Help protect the Environment

If you throw out your old phone, you could well be poisoning the environment. We need to wake up to the damage that the things we throw out can do - we can no longer carry on with a "out of sight, out of mind" attitude.

If you chuck out your phone, then the bin men take it away, and it eventually ends up in a land fill site. Slowly, over time, you old phone begins to degrade, breaking down over the years, becoming part of the earth. Each model of mobile phone is different, of course, but most are made with toxic substances, some of which are the most dangerous known to man: Cadmium (present in the battery, which alone can pollute up to 600 thousand litres of water), Palladium, Rhodium, and Beryllium to name a few. Shockingly, they can also contain arsenic and mercury.

So don't poison your local environment - recycle that old phone. It's the only option!

2. Help Preserve the world's natural resources

Other components of a mobile phone contain various different precious materials such as ceramics, silicon, copper, iron, epoxy, zinc, and nickel, to name but a few, and even precious metals such as bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and titanium. These metals are usually contained within the phones circuit board. All of these materials can be reused in some way. Obviously, there is not a great deal in a single handset. But think how many mobile phones exist in the world today. If we managed to extract 0.2 grams of gold from 80 million handsets, we would have a giant lump of gold weighing 16 metric tons, which could be smelted down for use in other phones in the future. The minerals, such as lead and copper, which are present in the handsets, are mined in places such as the Congo and in American rainforests. In order to mine lead and copper, trees are felled and the natural land is scarred from urbanisation and deforestation. By reusing parts from old mobile phones, we could significantly reduce the need for mining and consequential destruction of the natural earth.

3. Get cash for your old phone

Getting some money for your old phone sounds a bit of a minor reason compared to the environmental and global issues above. But it can all help and make it worthwhile for you. If nothing else, getting a few pounds for your old mobile may be enough to persuade you to pack it off to a professional recycling company rather than just throw it in the dustbin.

Today's Top Deals - Sell Your Mobile Phone

Don't forget, it's not ONLY about the money. There are plenty of great reasons to recycle your old mobile phone.

Phones for the Developing World

Many of the phone recycling companies are likely to refurbish your old phone and pass it on to a happy user in a Developing Country who otherwise wouldn't have access to a mobile or even a telephone network. These used mobile phones are becoming an essential part of life in the developing world, and have increased the quality of life for many in poorer parts, plus have helped develop the business and commercial world in some countries. Everyone knows that doing business is a lot quicker when you can easily communicate with your customers or suppliers.

De-clutter

You may just want to de-clutter, and get rid of all those old mobiles (also iPods, inkjet cartridges, games consoles and even cameras).

WEEE Directive

This set of rules and guidelines was introduced in January 2007 and aims to reduce the waste from electrical and electronic equipment. This directive affects households as well as businesses and local authorities. See more about the WEE directive here.