How to Recycle Mobile Phones/Cell Phones (+ Why It Is Important)
The other day, I found a broken mobile phone popped into my letter box. (I’m not sure whether it was coincidence, or whether it was someone on the street who suspected I would recycle it properly). It was properly smashed up, and the chip and some other piece of hardware had been removed from the back (plus the battery and SIM card were missing).
I posted the picture on Instagram, along with the comment that I’d recycle it properly, and I was surprised at how many people messaged me to say “Wait…how do you recycle a mobile phone, anyway?”
Well, for the benefit of all those people, along with anyone else who is currently harbouring an old mobile phone collection in their underwear drawer, here’s the lowdown of not only how to recycle old mobile phones, but also why.
Why Recycle Old Mobile Phones?
Its important to recycle anything and everything, but when it comes to mobile phones, there’s even more reason. Phones contain metals – the average smartphone will contain around 62 different metals. Let’s not forget that most of these metals will have been mined from raw materials.
Phones contain small amounts of valuable metals, including gold, silver, platinum, palladium and copper.
They also contain rare earth metals. Across all smartphones, 16 out of 17 rare earth metals have been used. (The 17th, promethium, is radioactive.) They do things like make bright colours and allow our phones to vibrate.
Finally they contain tungsten, tantalum (produced from “coltan”) and tin. These 3 Ts are the three biggest conflict minerals, along with gold. Conflict minerals are those mined in areas of armed conflict, and traded to fund the fighting. Tungsten is used to make cellphones vibrate; tantalum stores electricity in capacitors; and tin is used as solder on circuit boards.
(If you’d a snapshot of the issues surrounding mining these minerals, this article is a powerful read.
So yes, recycling is always important, but it is especially important when we are talking about keeping valuable and rare metals in circulation, and reducing demand for newly mined conflict minerals.
Small amounts add up. When you think that it is estimated that there’s 5 million old mobile phones lying around in Australia alone, that’s a lot of rare and valuable metals going to waste.
How Do We Recycle Mobile Phones?
Mobile phones count as eWaste (electrical waste) and need to go to an eWaste recycler. Exactly how it works varies from place to place, so I’ve divided by country below.
Before recycling, consider whether the phone is still useful to someone, and whether it is better to sell or gift for re-use. It is better to pass it on to someone who can use it now than keep it just in case.
Technology dates fast. Worst case is you give it away and then need a replacement phone… guaranteed a friend or family member will have a spare one in their sock drawer.
If it’s broken or old, send it for recycling. The recycler may be able to refurbish it, so let them make the call.
Recycling Mobile Phones in Australia
Mobile Muster is the product stewardship program of the mobile phone industry, accredited by the federal government. They have 3,500 drop-off points across Australia including at Telstra, Optus and Vodafone stores, some libraries, council buildings and transfer stations. (Their website has a search function to find your closest location.)
If there is no suitable location, Australia Post outlets will provide free satchels to mail the phone for recycling.
It’s also possible to recycle batteries, chargers and headphones through this program.
Mobile Muster is voluntarily funded by all of the major handset manufacturers and network carriers to provide a free mobile phone recycling program in Australia.
Other private eWaste recyclers also exist. If you’re in Perth, Total Green Recycling are an award-winning and environmentally responsible eWaste recycler that accept mobile phones for recycling.
Recycling Cell Phones in the US
There are a couple of online databases to help you find a recycling drop-off point close to you. Earth 911 is one of North America’s most comprehensive recycling databases, and has over 20 pages of listings for mobile phone recycling alone.
e-Stewards certification is an accredited, third-party audited, certification program for electronics recyclers, refurbishers and asset managers. It identifies the most globally responsible recyclers and attracts customers who care about data security, brand protection, human rights and environmental justice. There is an e-Stewards recycling database to check what’s local to you.
Many mobile phone shops will also take cell phones for recycling, so check with your closest store.
Recycling Mobile Phones in the UK
Oxfam run a mobile phone recycling service, where phones can be dropped off in-store – the proceeds go towards running their projects.
Alternatively, if you can’t get to a store, Oxfam have charity-partnered with Fonebank to allow you to recycle your old phone via mail. (Fonebank have also partnered with the National Trust, Water Aid and Plan UK.
Most of the major phone network providers will also allow customers to drop off phones for recycling in store.
Of course, mobile phone recycling is happening worldwide. If you’re from a country not listed above, please let us know where mobile phones can be recycled where you live.
Let’s get those unused mobile phones out of sock drawers and those materials back into useful circulation!
Now I’d love to hear from you! Do you have a stockpile of old phones sitting at home waiting for inspiration to strike? Do you have any other suggestions for recycling mobile phones? Are there any other tricky items you’d like to know how to recycle? Any other thoughts? Please share in the comments below!
Hi Lindsay, I have only just discovered you and am thrilled that I have! With the mobile phones, do we need to do something to them first, I have a couple of old phones but one is a smart phone but ancient by today’s standards. I no longer have a charger for it and have no idea what’s on it. I’d there a danger someone will get access to my details if I recycle it? Thanks, keep up the good work! Sharon
Hi Sharon and thanks for your lovely comment! Hmm, I think most reputable ewaste recyclers guarantee that your details are secure, so you could look at dropping off at a company directly or mailing to one who states this clearly on their website. Or call to check, if that’s easier. Alternatively, you could ask around on a Buy Nothing group or similar if anyone has an old cable (let’s face it, someone somewhere has one!) and try to get the details off it. Personally, I wouldn’t be too concerned if I was sending it to a registered place. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the article! So far I have managed to hand down all my phones, mostly to friends who needed one when their old ones broke. I even sold one, which wasn’t even working anymore (I told the guy, no worries!!!).
To continue with your list: GERMANY
https://www.handysammelcenter.de/sammelstellenfinder/ this is the biggest programme I know, you can either drop of the old phone to one of the shops listed one the map or downolad a free post stamp to send it to the recycling centre.
Hi Marisa and thanks for sharing! Actually thinking about it, that it what I have done a few times – definitely with my last two phones. I think the older Nokia ones that had snake on them from 20 years ago went to the recycler – I don’t think eBay and Gumtree were so popular back then, plus phone tech changed pretty fast in those days!
Thanks for the Germany link – very useful!
What is holding me up recycling 2 old phones is what is stored on them. (Half written songs & photos) I must shift this up my to do list thank you for the reminder!!!
I hadn’t actually considered this before you and a couple of other people commented about it Sue – good point! But better to do it sooner whilst we know the battery works and it still turns on, I think! Storing electronic devices in sock drawers does nothing for them! ;) Hopefully you’re on the case now!
Thank you for sharing this. Only recently I was made aware of the depletion of rare metals. Figure 2 on the following link shows a neat periodic table that is colour coded to show depletion. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsta.2014.0211#RSTA20140211F2 When I was doing good chemistry at school we were just told not to worry about the bottom half of the table as ‘no one uses those’. We do now! And they might be elemental, but if we’d spread them unrecoverable thinly upon the Earth, they will ostensibly deplete!
I looked on recyclenow to find out more about recycling in the UK as your great article piqued my curiosity and it has some links to advice on removing your personal data – that’s why I had all my family’s old phones and tablets once they’d been used til dead in a drawer too! Removing personal data is so important and once it’s done you can say goodbye and thank you to that old device for all its service so it can be remade! https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/online/deleting-your-data/
This is one of my favourite posts of yours! With the world we live it, knowing how and where to correctly recycle technology or ewaste I think is important. Its great to see this to educate people on it :)
Thank you Amelia! It surprised me actually how many people contacted me to say they didn’t know how! Goes to show not to take things for granted. May there be a big surge in recycled mobile phones now!
Great post Lindsay. I have recently discovered a neighbourhood drop off point for harder to recycle items. Mobile phones being one of the slots. The others are: Toothpastes and toothbrushes, cosmetics, coffee pods and batteries. Its location is at Lynwood Senior High School. May be a great sustainability project for other schools to enter into. This school did win accolades for their sustainability program for 2018. I’ll keep using it as long as it remains in place.
That’s great Phil! Actually lots of schools act as drop-off points for these types of items. It’s great as a way to educate kids, get the parents to recycle, as well as actually stop us wasting so much stuff. Wins all round!
Wow! I have heard of mobile recycling the first time right here. Your posts are always insightful and thought-provoking. Keep up the awesome work, Lindsay!
Btw, I’d really love to hear your thoughts on my product line – eco-friendly bags.
Really?! Happy to help! Hopefully there are no old phones in your sock drawer now :)
Wow Great Info. I also run a Cell phone recycling website in USA. I like the way you share this info, Thanks
Thanks admin for sharing this informative article.
Mazuma mobile also allows you to sell phones to them and they repurpose
I find the ethical tension between using and overusing tech and the dodgy manufacture of it esp in China plus waste issues almost unbearable! I don’t know how to reconcile it with minimalism either. AND the issue of all the vans transporting and delivering our eBay purchases… Aaahhhh!! It’s all too much.
I did Recycle my motorola Mobile Phone that was amazing.
Thanks for your enthusiasm, Zafar!
If you can suggest anything please. In Pakistan, i don’t think there is any specific place where i can give away mobile phones for recycling.
Zafar Bro, Can you please tell me how to recycle a mobile phone in Pakistan. I have 5-6 old/dead mobile phones but still i keep them as a souvenir hehe, but now after reading this article i think i should recycle them.
Thanks admin for sharing this informative article.
Thanks for sharing.
i really like your post and thanks for sharing