What to do with your old cell phone
So you’ve just received your new cell phone, an ultra-modern device packed with features that, until a few years ago, probably only existed in the secret pocket of Agent 007’s tuxedo. As you eagerly open the FedEx package, you take a look at your old phone, which has served him well and now he stares at it and wonders: what will be my destiny?
The good news for your trusty old companion is that it can still serve many useful purposes, including earning a cash refund, being reused, or at least ensuring that our environment doesn’t become polluted with non-biodegradable and often dangerous e-waste. .
Have you considered the trade option?
One of the smartest ways to dispose of your old cell phone is to trade it in for cash with an organization that will reuse or recycle it. As well as being generally easy, fast, and hassle-free, this option has two benefits: first, it turns your old phone into cash in your pocket; second, it keeps the phone and the materials it’s made from out of our environment.
In general, as long as what you trade in is in usable condition and doesn’t have cracks, missing parts, or a broken screen, these companies will compensate you for your old phone. The amount of money you’ll get back depends on the condition of the phone you’re returning. Naturally, the better the condition of the phone you return, the more money you get: for example, a Motorola RAZR in very good condition can set you back more than $40, while a more advanced model like the T-Mobile Sidekick in the same condition can be worth as much as $120.
So, depending on the price you paid for the cell phone you’re now trading in, you’ll either get a good portion back or end up making money. In any case, this is a better option than letting your old cell phone languish in a drawer or, worse yet, be scattered in the environment. Because no matter what the condition of your old cell phone is, cell phone trade-in organizations will usually make sure that if it can’t be reused, it gets recycled. Electronic waste can be a significant pollutant, especially considering that more than a hundred million cell phones are retired each year.
The simple process of exchanging your cell phone
Trading in your old cell phone is simple and, depending on the carrier you choose, may not even require you to leave your computer desk. Typically, you log on to the site of the organization that accepts trade-ins, identifies the make and model of your cell phone, as well as the condition (to the best of your knowledge) of your cell phone.
The last step is to mail them your cell phone. Then you usually wait a couple of weeks for the company to check your phone and make sure it really is in the condition you describe, then you get the trade-in value of the phone.
