What to Do With Old Broken Cell Phones
If you don’t know what to do with old broken cell phones, we’ve got a great list of ideas you can consider. You can help reduce e-waste in our landfills and make our environment cleaner.
Why it’s bad to throw away broken cell phones
When you throw away an old cell phone, it can pollute our earth. The devices have harmful materials such as arsenic, mercury, and lead. One source noted that Americans throw away 151 million phones a year.
When exposed to heat, the toxic chemicals can be released into the air. E-waste can also contaminate our soil too. There’s also a loss of about $55 billion dollars annually from resources that could have been recovered by recycling.
In recent years, more states have made it illegal to throw away electronics. More states are also encouraging citizens to recycle their devices.
How to dispose of old cell phones?
Before getting rid of your broken cell phone, if you have the time and finances, see if you can repair it first. Best Buy offers cell phone repair, and there may also be other companies near you that provide those services. If repairing is not the best option for you, here are some other ideas you can consider.
1. Trade-in program
Check if your cell phone carrier has a trade-in program. They may offer a payment or allow you to get a new phone in exchange. Here are a few phone carriers that offer a trade-in program:
2. EcoATM
EcoATM allows you to recycle your phone or tablet for cash no matter what condition it’s in. You can check the app to see what your phone is worth on the EcoATM website or app, prepare it for sale, and take it to a kiosk.
On their website, they make it easy to find a kiosk near your location. They have over 5,000 kiosks across the U.S. The company is proud to note that they’ve kept over 30 million phones out of landfills.
3. Staples
Staples offers in-store recycling of mobile phones and tablets. They’ll also take a variety of other items, including laptops, keyboards, and flash drives.
4. LG
LG offers recycling for all of its brand products. You can take it to one of their drop sites or mail it to them.
5. Other recycling locations
If there isn’t an EcoATM near you, there may be other recycling locations nearby. Earth911 has a search option that allows you to find locations in your zip code where you can recycle your cell phone.
