Mobile phone recycling is big business and there is an increasing awareness among consumers that it is good for the environment as well as their pockets. What is not as widely known is that most old mobiles sent to recycling companies don’t actually get recycled. The majority of recent and reusable handsets are sent to the developing world. It may help to encourage people to recycle if they knew that materials contained in those phones that are broken down end up being put to good use rather than contaminating the planet.
The phone casing contains various metals, plastics and some ceramics. Steel is recycled. The plastics are separated for shredding and then combined with plastics from other scrapped goods such as cars and computers to be used in the manufacture of new products such as fence posts.
The inside of the lithium ion battery is used in the manufacture of new batteries. The shell contains nickel, which is added to the stainless steel manufacturing process of making pots and pans. A similar process is used for older nicad batteries.
Circuit boards contain precious metals that can be potentially hazardous if allowed to go to landfill. Gold, silver, copper and lead melt at different temperatures so they can be recovered by extraction. Plastic in the board is consumed as energy during this process.