Do you have an old mobile phone stored in your drawer? Are you looking for a way to dispose of it? What you need to do is to recycle it. This article will tell you why mobile phone recycling is crucial as well as how you can recycle your old mobile phones.
Everyone knows recycling is good for the environment. Especially with the growing volume of electronic waste or e-waste, you can find it in landfills. Recycling reduces pollution and improves air quality.
United Nations University estimated that 49.8 million tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide in the year 2018 alone. The amount of wasted electronics is equivalent to dumping 9,023 phones every second of the year.
Electronic waste or e-waste is not only limited to small electronics such as mobile phones. But the thing is, 1.4 billion mobile devices are manufactured every year. The production is to satisfy the consumers’ desire for the latest and greatest smartphone.
Mobile phones contain several valuable materials and components. So even if your old mobile phone is completely unusable, 80 percent of the materials that it is made from can be recycled and used again.
Most of these materials are actually damaging to the earth. As such, if you throw your old phone in the bin and it goes to a landfill, the chemicals in your device could contaminate the soil, air, and water.
Electronic waste or e-waste is not only limited to small electronics such as mobile phones. (Photo credit: thebellevuegazette.com)
Why is Mobile Phone Recycling So Crucial?
Most of us don’t that recycling just one mobile phone saves enough energy to power a laptop for 44 hours? And if you recycle 130 million phones, you could save enough energy to power more than 24,000 homes for a year.
Throwing your old mobile phone is not a wise decision. That is because phones are made of different materials, which include harmful elements.
These devices also contain a variety of precious metals, copper, and plastics.
The following are the reasons why mobile phone recycling is crucial:
- Safer Environment. Mobile phones are non-biodegradable products. As previously mentioned, these mobile devices consist of toxic elements which end up in a lot of landfills. The screen of phones is made of glass, meaning they cannot decompose naturally. If they are left in the landfill, they darken in color.
When you recycle your old phones, the components can be safely recycled and reused. You can keep waste out of landfills and prevent more raw materials from having to be harvested for the production of smartphones.
- Harmful Materials. Mobile phones contain harmful materials that are quite dangerous to humans, animals, and plants. The two most dangerous materials are mercury and lead.
Mercury has long been known to cause brain damage, muscular disorders, and other medical issues. Lead, another common element in phones can cause cancer and brain damage.
A qualified recycler will know how to handle the harmful materials in the mobile phone safely.
- Reduce the Need for Raw Materials. A lot of raw materials are required in the industrial process for creating new mobile phones. Various mobile accessories, such as protective casing and covers, can be made from old raw materials.
In the recycling process, they re-use the old mobile parts to make low-cost devices. The pollution caused by raw materials during the production and transportation process is reduced as well.
Since there is no emission of poisonous chemicals, this results in a reduction of environmental pollution. Moreover, recycling also helps to reduce pollution from wastes secreted by industries that process raw materials.
- Reduce the Need to Mine. Mining has a devastating impact on the environment and we should be aware of it. Mobile phones are made from numerous materials, which include precious metals. Through recycling, you can reduce the need to mind and take less from the earth.
When it comes to phones, keeping valuable and rare metals in circulation is an excellent way to save the planet.
- Conserving Resources. When your mobile phone becomes obsolete, some of its parts have not lost their value. Leaving your device in a drawer somewhere or throwing it away would be a waste of valuable materials.
In fact, for every one million mobile phones recycled, 75 pounds of gold, 772 pounds of silver, 33 pounds of palladium, and 35,274 pounds of copper can be recovered. Tin, zinc, and platinum, which can also be found in your phone, can be reused.
However, if your phone is still functioning well, you’ll be preventing the need to produce another one, saving valuable natural resources.
Even if your old mobile phone is completely unusable, 80 percent of the materials that it is made from can be recycled and used again. (Photo credit: lh3.googleusercontent.com)
What are the Tips for Choosing a Recycler?
Recycling your old mobile phones is the safest way to dispose of them. You will be doing your part to protect the environment by properly disposing of your old phone.
You must make sure your old mobile devices are being recycled in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly manner. Here are the tips on how to choose a recycler:
- Check for Certifications. There are two accredited certifications recognized by the EPA for e-waste disposal and recycling. These are the Responsible Recycling Practices and the e-Stewards standards.
- Ask About Data Security. When you choose a recycler, you should ask how they handle data destruction and work with companies that have sound data security procedures. Several recyclers offer certificates of data destruction. This is a way to verify that any personal information has been destroyed.
- Ask About Environmental Commitments. You should choose a recycler that is transparent and environmentally responsible. That’s because improper e-waste recycling leads to negative environmental and human health impacts.
To choose a responsible recycler, you should check out their certifications. If you choose to donate your mobile phone for charity, you should make sure the charity only works with e-waste partners that have Responsible Recycling Practices or e-Steward certification.
There are two steps to recycling an old mobile phone. If your phone is damaged beyond repair, like in a fire or flood, you can simply drop it at a local recycling center that accepts electronic devices. However, if your phone is still functioning, you can trade-in your device for an upgrade. You just need to prep it first to ensure your data is secure.
You can trade your old mobile phone for cash to phone manufacturers. There are smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, Apple, and Google that offer trade-in programs that provide credit toward a new mobile phone.
Apart from recycling your old mobile phone, you can still continue saving the environment when you shop for a new smartphone. You should browse for refurbished phones.
If you are looking for refurbished mobile phones, you can look at QwikFone’s selection of refurbished devices. At QwikFone, you will find smartphones of different brands such as Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Google.
Moreover, you can find the best deals for your preferred refurbished phone, like a one-year warranty, a money-back guarantee, a full set of accessories, a free shipping option, and the opportunity to pay in monthly installments using PayPal credit. Buy the best budget-friendly iPhones from here.
