29
Jul
2010
Recycling Your Old Mobile Phone
According to research, it was shown that the average lifespan of a regular mobile phone for any user is about two years. While this value may eventually change as technology improves, it is still a good estimate on how many handsets an average person will go through in a lifetime. With that said, the average adult would have already used about four to five mobile handsets since the time that the technology has become common.
So what happens to these old handsets?
For some, about one or two of these devices would have been lost, stolen or simply in any similar situation where the device would be completely irretrievable, but this still leaves a few more phones that are sitting around. And chances are, these phones literally are sitting around the house.
While selling off or trading in mobile phones are pretty common practices, some people just find the whole process too troublesome to go through, and a phone to valuable to toss into the garbage bin (though some will). But one way or another, all of these old handsets will eventually be joining in with so many other discarded, unused mobile phones that will fill up giant landfills.
It is estimated that about 450 million Pounds worth of mobile handsets are currently unused in the UK alone.
The best thing to do with old mobile phones is to have them sent in for recycling. While this may seem like a waste of time, it is effort well spent. Not only will these devices be given a second use (either as a refurbished unit or as a source for raw materials), but many recycling centers also give out cash incentives to people who bring in their mobile phones.
On a side note, people bringing in their handsets should check the history of their mobile phone to ensure that the device does not have a questionable background. Recycling centers have now focused on searching for stolen devices as well.
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