Recycle Old Cell Phones for Ca$h and Charity

Britain’s obsession with having the newest of the new cell phones means that 10 million cells are dumped every year. And where do they go? One solution is envirophone—a company that will pay you for your old cell as well as making a donation to a charity of choice. You get paid according to the model of phone, which you can check on their website and then just drop yours in the mail. In return, you have the option of getting hard cash or credit at Argos, the U.K.’s largest catalogue shopping chain. The link-up with Argos is interesting because it is one of the biggest retailers of cells. The obsolete phones are re-used wherever possible in areas around the world which need them. These places usually have a poor landline infrastructure which creates a demand for the type of mobile technology that we have surpassed. If the phones cannot be re-used, they are recycled in an environmentally friendly way by an approved recycling company. Other charitable efforts to encourage recycling include the planting of a tree as part of a forestry project for every donated cell phone (see Treehugger). :: envirofone via :: engadget mobile