Three years ago before the onset of iPhones and other smartphones mobile phone recycling was more the province of charities, second hand shops and environmental groups.
People are finally beginning to dig out their old handsets for recycling and mobile recycling companies have detected a trend towards increasingly newer phones. Astute consumers have got the message that to obtain the best price they should recycle and then upgrade. They can then use the value of their old handset against the cost of a new one. However, most people do not really know what mobile phone recycling is all about.
Some think it involves breaking down old phones, reclaiming useful raw materials and safely disposing of hazardous waste. But to a mobile phone recycling company, they would only envisage recycling a small minority of phones for their parts. Most would be processed in a WEEE Authorised Treatment Facility and sent to new homes throughout the developing world.
Redistributing phones in this way has transformed how people communicate in developing countries, particularly in rural localities.
When mobile phone recycling companies first appeared on the scene, many were mistaken for environmental charities and whilst these considerations may be part of a mobile phone recycler’s strategy, the eco message on it’s own will not persuade most consumers to recycle.