There are 40 million unused gadgets in our homes, according to a survey by the Royal Society of Chemistry, with almost half of us hoarding up to five unused devices.
You can pass them on to friends and family, and mobile phones can be recycled at your local household recycling centre.
The main outlets for disposing of old mobile phones are the shops that sell them, but there are other organisations and charities that accept them for refurbishment and recycling.
Charities will accept mobile phones if they are working or not. They can raise valuable funds by passing them on to recycling companies that process old mobiles..
Up to 80 per cent of a phone is recyclable, so don’t send it to landfill or leave it in the drawer – recycle it!
But it’s important to ensure that your personal data is removed from your old mobile before you pass it on, send it for reselling or send it for recycling.
Mobile phone donation comparison sites will show you which recyclers are offering the best prices for your old phone. Alternatively, there are sites that buy old mobile phones and then professionally data cleanse them before repairing any defects and then refurbishing them for a second lease of life.
An online search will reveal a multitude of sites, charities and organisations accepting old mobile phones for recycling.
