The environment is climbing up the agenda these days. The media screams at us about climate change, energy efficiency and recycling. Most people can do something towards a greener lifestyle and most of us possess a mobile phone. The trouble is that the way the market operates in the UK, there are strong incentives to upgrade handsets frequently and well before the phone becomes life expired. This means a huge amount of perfectly good handsets become surplus to requirements each year.
In many cases there may be friends or relatives who are keen to receive recent models that still represent an upgrade from their old phone that they may have had for a few years. However, they then have the problem of what to do with a phone that is so ancient or beaten up that nobody else wants it. The temptation might be to just put it in the dustbin, or consider selling the phone on e-Bay. Alternatively, one of the growing number of mobile phone recycling companies will be prepared to accept it and, what’s more, they will actually pay money for the mobile.
These recyclers make it quick and simple to send redundant phones to them and are prompt at giving cash-back. They also ensure that dangerous chemicals and metals contained in phone components do not end up contaminating soil or groundwater when recycled. However, recycling is a last resort. Many perfectly reusable handsets are sold to developing countries where they are gratefully received.