Mobile phone- Tips of re-using it!!!

Mobile phone- love it hate, but don’t bin it

old mobile

Old mobile phones can be reused!

My mobile phone; I love it, I hate it. I need it, I resist it. But one day, for certain I will have to bin it.

That’s what modern technology and marketing feed us. A sure recipe for built in obsolescence and a desire for something newer, better and smarter.

I was searching around for something yesterday and suddenly came across a draw with a stash of old mobile phones.

“Ahhh, yes, I remember that one, it had a really neat feature, but look how big it is now, couldn’t possibly use it, even if it worked.“

And that’s another point; many old mobile phones that have not been used for a while will not work, in fact they get unregistered from the network and it’s quite a task to get them re-registered. Our current phone on a pay-as-you-go needs to be used at least once every 6 months to stay registered. (O2 network)

So what do you do with your trusty mobile when it finally gets the heave-ho for a younger brighter model? Maybe you just battle on with it, complete with dodgy connection and broken aerial, hoping it won’t finally die at that crucial moment when you’re stranded with the kids and a puncture.

Mobile phones are sure to have a limited life cycle and they are becoming increasingly more difficult to repair. They just don’t want you to get it fixed when there’s a new model to tempt you.

The average mobile phone user in the UK, will replace their handset once every 18 months. 96% of all 15 – 24 year olds in UK own a mobile phone and the market is driven to make them keep updating their phones to the latest one.

Across the world, 1.3 billion people own a mobile phone. Many of these end up in the landfill, which is such a waste, because we all know that one man’s trash can become another man’s treasure! It is estimated that less than 4% of all unused mobile phones in the UK are currently recycled and that millions of phones are hiding in drawers and cupboards across the UK. This is such a waste because inside these technological goodies is a goldmine (literally) of usable parts.

Ok, enough whining,
what are going to do as a true environmentalist, with a clear conscience and a hard decision to make?

Throwing an old mobile phone into the landfill can mean that toxic components can leach out and contaminate the water or air. Incinerating a mobile phone can emit highly toxic dioxins. Big No-No’s…

recycle mobilesThere are some valuable things you can do to keep your mobile phone out of the landfill and remain useful to someone.

* Rather than stash that old dinosaur in the draw, dig it out and donate it to a good cause. Even if it ends up being salvaged, it still has some valuable recycling materials

* Mobile phones use a significant quantity of gold in certain electronic components like contacts. According to http://www.fonebak.com other materials can be recycled as follows:

* Handsets are sent to a specialist recycling agent in Sweden where metals are extracted using waste-to-energy incineration.

* Batteries are sent to a specialist recycler in France. Nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride and lithium ion/polymer are extracted and returned to productive use.

* Chargers and accessories – the metals are recovered, and the plastic is melted into traffic cones, buckets and horse gallops.

* Mixed plastics, like phone covers, are melted and formed to make plastic sheeting.

Another option is;

DONATE TO CHARITY
Most charities will accept your old mobile phone. One of the largest charities, Oxfam has created an online mobile retail partner. http://www.mobiles.co.uk Every time a customer buys online from Mobiles.co.uk, they’ll receive a Freepost bag to donate their unwanted handset to Oxfam.

Oxfam’s “Bring Bring” handset recycling scheme offers an ideal way for consumers, mobile phone resellers and Oxfam to collaborate in achieving a win for all and importantly making a contribution to a good cause. It is the simplicity of the scheme which makes it so attractive.

If you want to keep your thoughts with the environment, then Recycling appeal http://www.recyclingappeal.com/ collects mobile phones for reuse and recycling, raising funds and helping the environment.

The Recycling Appeal has generated over £3.2 million for partner organisations since 1999.

If your handset no longer works, then valuable parts can still be salvaged and reused. Check out Green Source http://www.greensource.co.uk/ for further information.

REUSE
There is likely to be somebody who can make use of your old phone. Either offer it on your local Freecycle http://www.freecycle.org/ or sell it. You can sell on eBay or try a company like Mobile phone exchange http://www.mobilephonexchange.co.uk/. You can get an instant valuation online and if you think it’s worth it, you sell it to mobile phone exchange.

SCHOOLS MOBILE PHONE APPEALS
Computers for charities http://www.computersforcharities.co.uk/mobilephonerecycling run a collection service for old mobile phones that are salvaged and help to raise money for children in need.

Final thoughts …
Every time I have bought a mobile phone in the past, I always thought it was the coolest thing I owned. Why is it that a year later it becomes an unwanted embarrassment?

Judging by the amount of phones discarded every year this is fairly typical. Have we become so driven and gullible to the marketeers of our society that we can’t think for ourselves? Is that why we get married and divorced so easily as well? Seriously, isn’t it really the same message, that if it goes wrong or you find a better model, you just chuck it and trade up…

Maybe the mobile phone market is a clear symptom of our personal and cultural restlessness and hankering after the unreachable dream of bigger, better faster brighter, smarter. If that is the case, the call to stop and review our thinking here, as a model for our life, could just be the best thing we could do for ourselves, as well as the environment.