“I want to sell my old phone for cash.”
“Maybe, I can also recycle my phone and save the environment!”
These are some of the statements you probably hear as we edge further into the 21st century where gadget recycling has become increasingly important for the sake of Mother Nature.
Facts
Today, most people around the globe understand that waste management is no longer an undertaking that should be left in governments and institutions.
They know that if everyone is involved, whether by adopting good waste disposal practices or recycling mobile phones, consoles, laptops, desktop computers, and a host of other gadgets they don’t use, they can go a long mile in saving the unlimited world resources and making them available to future generations.
Some people are aware that mobile phone recycling is a noble course that can help a great deal in helping us achieve a green economy.
Nonetheless, there are billions of people across timelines whoa are not aware that the gadgets that have been gathering dust in their drawers for decades can be recycled or reused. If you don’t believe this, look at the following statistics.
- In 2013, a study showed that only 12% of e-waste is recycled
- Over one billion cell phones in the US are not used
- Over 5 billion people own mobile phones, and most of them are constantly getting new ones.
- In America alone, more than 130 million phones are disposed of every year. Astonishingly, studies show that this is enough energy to power over 24,000 homes every year.
The above forms the inspiration for this article!
Why Recycle your Mobile Phone?
If you thought that recycling your old phone was a waste of time, below are some of the benefits you might get or bestow to the world.
- You can make money- depending on the type of mobile phone you are selling to a recycler; you can make hundreds of dollars from it. You can then use the money to do everything else that matters in your life.
- There is no comeback- when you sell an old gadget in a site that accepts second-hand goods such as eBay, the customer might find out that the phone he acquired was below his expectations, and might send it back to you and demand his money back. After that, you might find it difficult to get a new client.
- With recycling, don’t expect a comeback. When the recycler receives your gadget, he will send your money through a method most convenient to you, and you can use it without worrying that unexpected issues might arise days or weeks later.
- The cost of new phones through recycling and reuse of components- when you sell your phone for recycling, you will be helping people in developing countries afford quality gadgets, since most of the parts will be reused other than sourced naturally. This will go a long mile in reducing cell phone prices world over.
- Help in saving human health– what most people don’t know is that mobile phones contain hazardous materials such as cadmium, mercury, and lead. When disposed of in landfills, they can get into contact with humans and other living organisms and cause a myriad of health issues. You will be mitigating this by selling your phone for recycling.
- Conservation of precious metals– some phones are made with precious metals such as gold, copper, and silver. By selling yours for recycling, you will be ensuring that these metals are conserved. Also, you will be helping in sourcing raw materials for the manufacture of new gadgets of the same type, which means less damage to the environment.
- You will save endangered species- some mobile phones are made with Coltan, a material that is found among endangered gorilla species in Congo. Miners of this ore kill these animals. Wildlife conservationist and researchers warn that this animal might become extinct, and this is the last thing the world wants to see. By recycling your phone, therefore, you will be helping in supplying this raw material; thus you might make a bold step in saving the gorillas.
- Help conserve energy- some studies have shown that recycling one million mobile phones can save enough energy to provide electricity for over 190 households. This means that the more phones recycled, the more energy conserved, and the more the world goes green!
- You will feel happy- by recycling your mobile phone, you know that you are playing your part in conserving the environment. Therefore, you will develop a fuzzy feeling by realizing that you are part and parcel of the green movement and you are doing all you can to make the world a better place for everyone.
How Materials Recycled from Cell Phones are Used
When you sell your mobile phones to a recycler, some of the components are used to make low-cost mobile phones, while others such as plastics, rechargeable batteries, and metals are used to manufacture other products such as jewelry, automotive parts, and electronics.
Regardless of how the materials are used, the good news is that nothing ends up in the landfills.
Conserving the environment starts with you. Don’t stack those old phones at the back of your drawer, believing that you will show them to your future generations and reveal to them how far technology has come. Recycle them today for the sake of our ecosystem.
