Lewis Hanney | WeBuyAnyPhone.com
Do you have an old mobile phone gathering dust in your homes drawer of doom? A 2023 Which survey found over a third of us do. If your answer is yes this article could help you make some cash and help environment at the same time.
Up to 80% of a smartphone is recyclable. So sending them to landfill or leaving them lying around at home is an environmental crime!
Mobile phones contain plastics and metals some of which valuable, such as silver. You can extract and recycle these materials. Which helps support a more healthy planet and the circular economy at the same time.
We’ll cover the available options to recycle your old mobile phones so, you and the planet get the best deal. As well as other helpful advice you’ll want to know before recycling your old phones.
Resellers can sell more up to date phones online. At WeBuyAnyPhone.com we’ll pay you top prices for smartphone models typically released in the last 7 years. If you’ve got a phone that fits this you can see how much we’ll pay you for it below. Or if you want to shop around you can check out our guide to comparing phone selling platforms.
If the device is battered or even broken, don't worry. Unless its completely snapped in half or doesn’t turn on we’ll still pay you for you old phone.
If you’re feeling charitable and want to help the environment and a good cause as well, most charities will accept old phones. They’ll usually take them whether in working condition or not. Then raise funds by passing them onto mobile phone recycling companies like us. Or give them directly to those who need them.
Little Lives UK has a technology donations programme. It tries to give as many disadvantaged children as possible, access to tech.
The British Heart Foundation takes phone and tablet donations to resell directly. All money raised goes towards funding its live saving research.
Vodafone runs The Great British Tech Appeal. Partnering with Barnardo’s. They clean, re-box, and donate the smartphones and tablets to someone in need. Along with 6 months of free data, calls and texts.
Phones that are older than 7 years or that are severely damaged typically hold no value. To make sure its recycled you can take it to a local recycling centre. Most local authority recycling centres will have a container for small electricals. You can find your nearest recycling point for mobile phones using Recycle Now’s, National Recycling Campaign.
Carrier networks like EE, Three and O2 as well Apple and Samsung all have trade-in programmes. These companies usually offer cash or credit options for trade-ins. They refurbish the phones they buy. Then either sell to resellers or break them down and recycled them for parts and materials.
A general rule of thumb is if your phone is no more than 7 years old and fit for refurbishment you’ll get a much better offer from a company like WeBuyAnyPhone.com. If you have older or badly damaged devices, selling them for parts and materials can help you earn some money. This is especially true for phones that other companies won't purchase.
Like mobile phone buying companies, manufacturers and network carriers do also show offer prices on their websites. So you can compare prices across these for the best deal.
Chances are if you’re trying to learn how to recycle your phone its not for reasons a repair could fix. Most likely you’ve already upgraded and are looking for the responsible thing to do with your old mobile phone.
If you wish to recycle a device due to its poor functionality, repairing it could be a more cost-effective option.
Speakers, microphones or even batteries repair costs can be a much cheaper option to extend your phones life.
We would recommend selling your phone entirely if repair costs exceed what you could sell it for.
Typically, an upgraded device would serve you better in the long run here.
With all that out of the way, we have to mention that it may be better to hold onto your device. E-waste is a enormous problem. Finding another use for your old phone recycles it. It also saves on any energy needed to recycle it and reduces your need to buy new tech.
You have many ways you can DIY convert your old phones into useful kit. Here’s a few.
Use it as a home security camera.
Use it as a smart remote.
Use it as a baby monitor.
Use it for music, to save battery on your actual phone.
One fear a lot of people have when recycling their old phones is, will their data be at risk. Your mobile phone holds contacts, messages, passwords, bank details and other personal information. You don't need to fear someone stealing this data. You should simply erase it before it leaves your possession.
Naturally most people will do this without having to be told. The thought of being phoneless in this day age would out of the question for most of us. But, having a new phone before you recycle your old can make transferring your old data so much easier.
The majority of phones now have data switching apps pre-installed. These let you move across old files to your replacement device seamlessly. Your old device can then be factory reset, which will erase its data entirely.
However, if moving from one make to another this can be slightly more difficult. Moving from iPhone to Android.
Turn on your new Android phone.
Tap Start.
Make sure you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
When asked, choose to Copy apps and data from your old phone.
If you have a cable to connect the devices do so. Then follow the on-screen instructions.
If not, tap No cable? > OK.
Tap Using an iPhone device? Then follow the on-screen instructions.
Make sure the internet on your Android is turned on.
On your iPhone look for the Apps & Data screen.
Tap Move Data from Android.
On your Android open the Move to iOS app and tap Continue.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
You may still wish to backup your data for peace of mind. This is fairly straight forward, but slightly different depending on the phone you have. Here’s a step by step for the most popular iPhone and Samsung models.
You can backup photos and videos to your Google Photos library directly from your phone.
You can store any files and folders on Google Drive. Either on a temporary or permanent basis.
You can backup any iPhone data using iCloud or a Mac or PC.
To use iCloud go to Settings > [Your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
On a Mac or PC plug in your iPhone, navigate to iTunes and click Summary, then Back Up Now.
Before you recycle your phone its your responsibility to make sure any personal data is removed. To do this you’ll need to factory reset your old phone. This will revert the phone back to way it was when it was before you took it out the box. The only remaining files will be OS files and any pre-installed apps and assets.
Go to Settings.
Tap System > Advanced > Reset Options.
Tap Erase all data > Reset phone.
Enter your device PIN > Select Continue.
Tap Erase Everything to confirm.
Go to Settings > General > Reset.
Then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Once your data is transferred, backed up and your device is factory reset you are good to recycle your old phone.
When you plan to sell your phone, seasonal trends can make a big difference in the resale value you get. Lets explore when the best time really is to sell your old phone.
Lewis Hanney | WeBuyAnyPhone.com
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