For those who own a box of “old electronics” stored in a basement or simply an iPhone that has seen better days, it is worth considering recycling.
What is the best place to recycle old cell phones?
If you don't want to spend hours looking for the right place to recycle your old phones, here is a list of 10 options. Some are buyback programs or official channels and others are non-profit donations.
1. Best buy
Best Buy has recycling kiosks in its US stores and offers free in-store recycling. The company typically limits the number of devices to three per family per day. Work with recycling companies to ensure that phones and other electronic devices do not end up in landfills.
2. Staples
Staples accepts laptops, cell phones, batteries, accessories and more. Staples has more than 1,000 stores in the U.S. and some international locations. Stores offer gift cards in exchange for trade-ins on certain devices. Rewards members can earn points for bringing in devices for recycling.
3. Your carrier or manufacturer
Many haulers or manufacturers offer recycling programs. AT&T has a trade-in program for unwanted phones and accessories, regardless of manufacturer or carrier. The owner receives a “promotion card” to reduce the price of a new phone or other purchase. Verizon also offers a trade-in program where the owner receives an e-gift card once the phone is shipped and appraised.
Apple and Google stores recycle used products for free.
4. Local establishments
Your city undoubtedly has places to recycle old phones. Most government websites, including those in New York City, offer directions on where to recycle phones. Many cities have nonprofit organizations that also donate old phones. The EPA has an option to find out which electronics you can recycle with mail-in options.
SEE: Recycling plastics and other waste can be a key part of the life cycle of technology products.
5. Eco-Cell
Eco-Cell is an electronic waste recycling company based in Louisville, Kentucky. It partners with nonprofits and organizations like the Jane Goodall Institute. Bins are located at coffee shops and other businesses across the country, where collected phones are sent to Eco-Cell in Louisville. If the phones are reusable, they resell them and return some of the money to the owner. If they are not reusable, the phones are recycled and the owner receives money for the value of the recycled materials.
6. Medic Phone Donation Program
The Hope Phones campaign was started in 2009 by Medic Mobile, which works to promote healthcare in 16 countries through the use of mobile technology. Now known as the Medic Phone Donation Program, individuals, nonprofit organizations, groups or businesses can donate old phones. Mobile devices are recycled and valued, so the nonprofit can obtain new technology for the field. Most older models are valued at $5, but newer smartphones are typically valued at $80, according to the website. Submit a phone to the program by packaging it and shipping it to the Colorado address provided on the website.
7. Mobile phones for soldiers
Cell Phones for Soldiers is a nonprofit organization that provides free communication services to active duty military members and veterans. The revenue from the phones goes towards the purchase of international calling cards. New or gently used cell phones are accepted, and each device valued at $5 turns into 2.5 hours of free talk time for soldiers.
8. Gazelle
Gazelle is one of the most popular trade-in options for old mobile phones. The resale company is based in Boston, Louisville, Kentucky and Texas. Select your phone make, model, and carrier, describe your phone's shape, and then receive an offer. Ship it for free and receive a check or gift card to Amazon.com or PayPal after Gazelle evaluates its value.
9. Call2Recycle
Call2Recycle is a no-cost recycling program for batteries and cell phones in the US and Canada. It has collection boxes that can be placed anywhere with shipping permits, so mailing them is easy. Call2Recycle offers bulk shipping if you would like to send recyclables to them.
10. Eco-friendly ATM
EcoATM is an automated kiosk that collects your unwanted mobile phones and tablets and gives you cash for them. It's made by the same people who make CoinStar, so you'll find them in the checkout lines of several supermarket chains. Accepts devices from any era or in any condition and offers anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars in trade. EcoATM partners with R2 certified e-waste recovery facilities to ensure phones are recycled or given a second life.
Some users report technical problems with EcoATM machines or receive less cash than expected. When recycling monetary devices, keep in mind that the exchange ecosystem can be volatile. Services provide an estimate up front, but may pay differently once they inspect a specific device.
What to do with old mobile phones?
Consider upgrading your old mobile phone's hardware or software as much as possible before upgrading to a new model, as long as everything is working properly. Don't throw it on the sidewalk if you want to get rid of it. It is illegal to throw away electronic devices and their batteries in some states due to the toxic substances contained in their insides. Batteries, in particular, can be dangerous to dispose of.
How to prepare a cell phone to recycle?
Be sure to deactivate your phone service and delete any data you want to keep. You may want to wipe a phone using the factory reset option before recycling it to remove your personal data. If you send your device to a program where it will be physically recycled, all personal data on that phone will be destroyed. If a phone is restored, personal data will be deleted.
