The digital age brings with it many benefits. We now all have smartphones, dedicated personal computers that fit in our pockets. We’re the “always on, always connected” generation and we have access to vast quantities of data right at our fingertips. However, with every new innovation and technological addition there are the inevitable pros and cons. In the US alone, it’s estimated that mobile phones are updated every 18 months. That means that over 800 million are lurking in drawers, and 140 million are in landfills – and those phones are leaking toxic metals into our collective environment. This is a terrible arrangement and one that benefits no one – our resources are already strained in the first instance, and this neglect of toxic waste means that our fragile planet is further harmed. Let’s consider some eco-friendly ways to recycle your smartphone. Sell, Recycle, Reuse Consider recycling your old phone instead of losing it to a forgotten dresser drawer. Donate your smartphone to a charity, or, if you’re less charitable, sell it for cash. Whatever you do, do something productive and not wasteful with it. Your old smartphone is valuable, perhaps not to you, but to someone else. Appstand This is basically a digital picture frame that encases your phone that you can purchase. It turns your old iPhone 3 or 3GS into a dedicated screen for showing off photos or some lovely multimedia imagery. It allows you to breathe some life back into that aging piece of technology. Apple will take it off your hands For those of you with old iPhones there’s another option. You can get in touch with Apple and use its Reuse and Recycle program to turn your phone into a gift card. The amounts put on the gift card of course vary considerably depending on the phone’s make and model. The Carphone Warehouse A trade-in service that provides a discount on your next smartphone (or tablet). The amount varies, of course, but they have a helpful page that allows you to check the value of your particular phone. The company will take phones that are damaged or even not working at all, and leave you free to spend the cash on anything you want – including, of course, a new phone contract. The Carphone Warehouse will pay you then and there directly into your bank account. ERP-Batteries and Call2Recycle The battery in a smartphone is very valuable. It contains precious metals and minerals, and, although each battery only contains a small amount, collectively it’s a substantial potential resource stream. That’s where a service like Call2Recycle in the US, or ERP-batteries in the UK, comes into its own. The company will recycle your battery ensuring that nothing is lost in the process and they make it very simple too. You can request a free collection from your home, or, if you’d rather, you can send the phone in the post yourself using the free collection box that ERP will provide.

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