When talking about smartphones there are a lot of things that should be kept in one’s view. Smartphones have become a basic necessity and that’s why it is important to keep up with all the basic trends going on and be aware of what is going to happen. If your cell phone contract is about to expire you should definitely know this. There is a possibility that your career would allow you a free or cheap upgrade if you turn in the old smartphone for recycling. The most common and easiest way to recycle a smartphone is to send in your device for a trade-in.
However, if the smartphone you own is so damaged that it cannot be repaired for someone else to use then there is a possibility that your career might not accept it. Even after this, you should recycle your smartphone. There are several phone manufacturers and various third party organizations that provide financial incentives for recycling old smartphones. With pollution getting high everyday recycling is the only option we should all turn to. Some of them can limit you to recycle one device in exchange for a new device but others can allow you to sell multiple phones. In this article, we’ll have a look at why it is important to know about recycling and how you can recycle your old smartphone.
Why Go to the Trouble of Recycling an Old Phone?
Your old phone might seem like garbage to you but it has so many valuable materials. If you will not dispose of your phone properly then it can cause potential danger to you and the environment. Explained below are the reasons why it is important to recycle your cell phone.
Harmful Materials
There are various materials inside your smartphones that are quite dangerous for the environment, humans, animals and plants. Mobile devices have Mercury in them that can cause brain damage, muscular disorders and other medical issues if not disposed of properly. Lead is another common element in the batteries of smartphones. It is responsible for causing cancer and brain damage. That is why it is important that you consult a qualified recycler who knows how to handle these harmful materials safely and recycle them properly.
Conserving Resources
It is important that you recycle a phone and the materials are put to good use. The gold, silver and Silicon used in smartphones can be recovered and used again. There is some rare earth used in electronics That can be preserved properly. A qualified recycler can recover these rare earth elements and these can be used to produce another one that can save valuable natural resources of the earth.
Waste Reduction
By taking good care of your smartphone and turning it in, you can reduce the amount of waste that pollutes our ecosystem. This is alone a very good reason to recycle your old smartphone if you care for your environment.
Money in Your Pocket
You also get money by turning in a working phone, in exchange for a new one. You will get a cash discount from any cell phone repair store. Some repairers also give you a cash discount by turning in the smartphone. With all these additions to the environmental and safety reasons for recycling a smartphone, you will get a nice financial reward as well.
How to Recycle Your Old Phone
Recycling an old smartphone there are two common ways. if your phone is damaged beyond repair you can simply drop it at a local repair centre that accepts such electronic devices and get done with it. But if you want to trade your smartphone then you need to be sure that the data of your smartphone is secure. After being sure of it you can safely give it to your vendor. there are some ways that you should prep your old phone before turning it in for recycling or for selling it to another consumer.
Clean it thoroughly
You have to clean your phone thoroughly with a cleaner. You can use alcohol to do it.
Completely backup your data:
You should see the smartphone menu and online and follow the exact procedure for backing up the data you have saved over that in your of using your smartphone.
Perform a proper reset:
Performing a proper factory reset is very important. It will eliminate almost 95% of all the personal information on your smartphone and it will be safe to hand it over to anyone.
Take the SD and SIM cards out:
If you have added additional memory cards to your smartphone to increase its memory you should take it out. You should also carefully take out all the SIM cards you have been using.
Write down the model number:
It is very important to know the model number of your smartphone. If you don’t know the model number, you can call your career and know it before handing it over.
Test basic functions:
Before handing your smartphone over to anyone be it a career or a consumer, you should check that everything is working. You should check the backlight, charging ports, volume control, touch screen, and all that is there to a working smartphone.
Turn in for recycling or refurbishing:
The organization you are handing your smartphone to should know about its general condition. They will test the basic functions to make sure that your smartphone is in good shape if they have to sell it again to a consumer. If your phone is not in a good condition you can simply tell them to recycle it. However, if it is, you should be sure that they give you credit for a trade-in or trade up properly.
