Get the most cash from recycling your old mobile

by Emma Lunn on 15 January 2012  |  5 comments
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Prices vary significantly between them, so which sites offer you the best return when recycling your old mobile?

Millions of pounds worth of mobiles are simply thrown away each year while other consumers leave redundant handsets to gather dust.

Those that throw their old mobiles out with the rubbish could be harming the environment as the hazardous components found in mobile handsets pose serious hazards to the environment if discarded in landfill sites. But if they’re recycled they can be put to good use.

Many second-hand phones are used in the developing world where many people would be unable to afford full price handsets. By selling your phone you could be helping people get access to vital technology. Re-using phones also means fewer need to be manufactured, again reducing damage to the environment.

But, for the cash conscious among us, recycling old mobiles can result in some extra pounds in your pocket too.

Recycling sites

The past few years have seen numerous websites spring up which offer cash for old mobiles and other gadgets. Most sites will send you a pre-paid padded envelope to put your phone in, while some will send a courier if you have several phones to recycle. Once they’ve received the phone they send the cash either by cheque or bank transfer.

How much can you get?

How much you get for your old mobile handset depends on three key factors: the make and model of the phone, whether it works or not, and the recycling website you use.

Obviously the newer the model, the better the spec and the higher its recommended retail price, the more you’ll get for it. So if you’re trading in a slightly outdated iPhone in order to buy the latest model you’ll get a lot more than if you sold your brick-sized Nokia from the ‘90s.

Working phones inevitably fetch a lot more than those that don’t work or have shattered screens, as fully working handsets can be used again rather than being sold on for parts.

I compared the quoted prices for six mobile phone handsets on five of the most popular recycling sites. There were surprising differences between what the different sites will pay for the same make and model, highlighting the importance of shopping around before making a decision.

For example, as the table shows, Fonebank.com will give you £225 for an iPhone 4 16GB but Mopay.co.uk will only give you £114.08, just over half the price from Fonebank. In fact, Mopay.co.uk gave the lowest price for all six handsets we compared re-sell prices for. However, there wasn’t a particular recycling site which always gave the best price.

Other options

Recycling sites aren't the only option when it comes to recycling mobile handsets and it’s possible that you could earn more cash elsewhere.

Auction site eBay has a lot of mobile phones listed and auctions could mean you sell it for an inflated price if it’s a popular model people are keen to get their hands on. Make sure you factor in listing and postal costs though.

If you have several old mobiles lying around it can be a good idea to hold on to one of them. A spare handset can be a handy back-up if your current handset breaks down or can be handed down to children as their first phone.

If you’re buying a new handset or signing a new contract it’s also worth asking if your network or retailer offers a trade-in service. Carphone Warehouse, for example, offers decent prices on old models.

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