Old or unused mobile phones create a significant percentage of the worlds overall, electronic waste, and the scale of the problem is growing year on year. This year, total worldwide mobile phone ownership is set to surpass 3 billion. That is approximately one handset for every two people on the planet, and with growing demand and development, the market shows no sign of reaching saturation point. The latest industry figures show that each mobile purchased is used for a average of just 18 months, which means that in as little as three years time there will be around 6 billion unused mobiles filling draws and cupboards around the world.

If you could lay these handsets out end-to-end they would easily stretch around the world multiple times, yet the majority eventually find their way into rubbish bins or a hole in the ground, with no thought given to recycling. All this adds up to an overwhelming environmental problem and one that mobile manufacturers and retailers need to take more seriously. If the mobile industry does not begin to take official guidelines and environmental concerns, more seriously regulations and policy can only begin to come down on it.

Simply discarding a mobile phone into the bin instead of recycling it generally leads to it reaching a landfill or being incinerated, which releases many toxic substances that are important to the operation and manufacture of the handset.  However, these toxic substances include heavy metals such as nickel, mercury, and Cadmium one of the earth’s most deadly substances and many more! Which just do not degrade. When a handset reaches landfill these substances, can pollute the environment by leaking into water sources and the food chain, all this leads to a huge ongoing health risk alongside other human initiated environmental factors.

Although not a complete solution to the problem, recycling a mobile phone can help to reduce its environmental impact by prolonging its usefulness, as well as put some extra money in your pocket. Many people hoard mobile phones for one reason or another, probably out of some kind of desire to hold on to the handsets value. As I write this, I am going to check to see how much money I can get for a Sony Ericsson K800i, which is in my bedside table. After checking with envirofone I found that I can get £24.20. Envirofone are going to send out a package for me to send it off in, when they receive the handset and check it over a cheque will be sent to me.

Let’s face it it’s not really that morally correct to use making money as your motivation to recycle an old mobile phone, but why keep something that provides you with no tangible benefits. At least selling it can enable you to play your part the recycling process.