| The frequency of handset upgrades by mobile carriers | | | | Once you decide which recycling firm to go for, the |
| means many of us have a growing collection of old, | | | | process of getting your phone to them is easy. Most |
| outdated devices gathering dust around our homes. As | | | | will send out a pre-paid, padded envelope into which |
| a result, rafts of new companies have sprung up that | | | | you simply put the handset and all components, and |
| specialise in recycling mobiles, offering you the chance | | | | some will even pay for a courier to pick the phone up |
| to collect cold hard cash instead of cluttering up | | | | from your home. |
| drawers and cupboards. | | | | If you have multiple mobiles to get rid of, it might be |
| The choice of companies offering to take your old | | | | better to pick a firm that offers courier pick-up as |
| phone off your hands is mind-boggling. Punch the | | | | standard, rather than run the risk of putting several |
| phrase into your Internet search engine and you'll find | | | | devices into the post. If it's lost in the regular mail, you |
| dozens, if not hundreds, of firms, all looking for your | | | | can kiss your phone - and any potential cash - |
| used phones. | | | | goodbye. |
| Most of the firms are offering anything up to £150 | | | | Although most of the phones received will be wiped |
| for used handsets, though the exact price you'll get | | | | and shipped out to new markets - assuming they're in |
| depends on which model you have, whether it still | | | | working order - it might be worth giving them a quick |
| works, and if you can supply the charger. That's | | | | charge and turning them on to make sure you haven't |
| because mobile phone recycling firms generally look to | | | | left any personal information like pictures, phone |
| re-purpose the handsets for poorer countries, like | | | | numbers, or even bank details, on there. |
| many of those in Africa or Asia, where the public just | | | | Some companies will renegotiate the price once they |
| want a cheap handset that lets them make calls, and | | | | receive your handset, based on whether it can be |
| maybe send the odd text message. | | | | shipped out straight away, or requires some minor |
| Phones that have long since died, never to be | | | | upgrade to bring it up to date. Such last-minute |
| resurrected, are also accepted. In those cases, the | | | | changes are less likely in the case of phones that just |
| recycling firm will typically break the phone down to its | | | | plain won't work, as in that situation the firm tends to |
| component parts, and recycle anything that still works. | | | | know what it's getting. |
| The plastic casing, for example, is typically melted | | | | The basic message is that any old phone can hold |
| down to be used in new consumer products, while | | | | some value. The more mainstream the handset, the |
| complex internal components can be dusted off and | | | | better. You're likely to get more for a popular product |
| used to make other handsets work, or simply sold on | | | | from a major global manufacturer than for cheap and |
| to other specialist firms. | | | | cheerful handsets from an unknown maker, simply |
| Because of that dual usage, many recycling | | | | because recycling firms can get more for the |
| companies talk up their green credentials. After all, it's | | | | components or complete devices once they sell them |
| easier on the environment to freshen up an old phone | | | | all on. |
| than to use precious natural resources building a new | | | | It might sound like a hassle, but in reality the whole |
| device from scratch. However, don't be blinded by the | | | | process is designed to be as easy as possible. In times |
| science. Use the Web to shop around for the best | | | | when cash is at a premium, mobile phone recycling |
| deal - many price comparison sites are starting to | | | | might just provide you with enough to buy your next |
| include phone recyclers in their statistics - and be | | | | device. |
| mercenary. | | | | |