PEOPLE are senselessly throwing away old phones that could fetch you some spare cash.
Many don’t realise that even broken iPhones and Android devices could be worth a small something.
Smartphones contain bits of gold, copper, silver, palladium, which are all easily recycled – and manufacturers want them.
Last year the WEEE estimated that around 5.3billion smartphones were thrown away.
Most of them are being abandoned in draws, cupboards or simply junked in the bin, despite them having loads of valuable components in them.
So if you’ve got an old phone somewhere, think twice before binning it, as there are several ways you can turn them into a bit of extra money.
“As a nation of hoarders, millions of tech-loving Brits will be adding to the growing problem of e-waste without realising it,” said Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com.
“To help cut back on e-waste, consider doing an early spring clean and make sure unused tech is either reused, resold or disposed of sustainably.
“If changing your handset, consider picking a refurbished model.
This will save you money at the same time as reducing the e-waste produced from buying a new smartphone.”
Sell to a recycling site
There are sites that will happily take your old kit off your hands for a few quid.
Shop around to see what they will offer as one is bound to offer more than the other.
Here are some worth trying – they usually send you a bag or box to post off your phone for free.
Be sure to read all terms and conditions and instructions carefully.
Sell it yourself
If the phone is still in working order you could sell it yourself.
Facebook Marketplace is a good place to flog stuff for free.
Some people are even happy to buy broken devices.
Meanwhile, others will buy them for their parts on Ebay.
Trade it in towards something new
Many retailers and smartphone makers encourage you to trade-in your old smartphone.
This can go towards a new purchase – not that you need a new phone – or another device entirely, like a tablet.
You usually get a much better value rate this way.
Some places offer gift cards towards anything you like.
For example, Apple offers several hundred towards some models – even if it’s not made by them.
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