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It’s impossible to keep up with the latest and greatest cell phones. It seems as though every week a new and improved version of a smart phone is released. As new versions hit the market old phones start to pile up. The average American holds onto a cell phone for 12-18 months. And then what? E-waste.
E-waste has become a big issue with old cell phones accounting for a large chunk of the problem. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans discard 125 million phones each year, creating 65,000 tons of waste.
An old cell phone tossed into the garbage will end up sitting for years in an overflowing landfill, leaching toxic chemicals (lead, nickel, cadmium, lithium) into the ground.
Reasons to recycle your cell phone [2] recycle your cell phone and earn some money back
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SellCell.com is a price comparison site-they compare prices from all the top phone buyers and let you know how to get the most cash for your old cell.
When SellCell.com contacted me to spread the word about their service I was interested to to find out what they do with the old phones that are sent to them. SellCell.com repurposes phones in a few different ways:
- Used cell phones are refurbished and shipped to developing countries and reused
- Refurbished phones are re-sold, giving them a new life and reducing the need for the manufacture of new phones, which benefits the environment
- Old phones are used to make new ones – benefiting the environment by eliminating the need for manufacturing new parts.
How it works [4]
- Search for your phone on the SellCell [2] site.
- SellCell.com [2] compares prices from all the top cell phone recycling programs so you are guaranteed top dollar for your old phone.
- Mail in for free-SellCell.com only features companies that offer free shipping.
- Payment will be mailed to you once the phone is received.
Before donating or recycling your cell phone, there are three things you need to do [5]:
- Terminate your service.
- Clear the phone’s memory of contacts and other stored information.
- Manually delete all information, and follow instructions from your wireless carrier or the product manual on how to conduct a factory hard reset;
- Use data erasing tools that are available on line.
- Remove your SIM card and shred or cut it in half. If you are not sure if your phone uses a SIM card or if you need assistance removing your SIM card, contact your service provider or manufacturer.
Go green and recycle your cell phone. You’ll do something good for the environment and earn yourself some cash at the same time.
Full disclosure: SellCell.com is a sponsor of this site and I did receive compensation in exchange for my honest opinion about their services . The content and opinions are 100% my own and always will be. Promise.
[Photo used under Creative Commons from Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr]