LONDON, England – Since yesterday’s story about recycling in India, and more pertinently, Ripul’s comments and feedback on it, I’ve been thinking more about the whole area of phone recycling (and what I’m going to do with the bag of phones languishing in my cupboard). One thing I’ve come across previously (but not paid much attention to) are companies who will pay you good money for your old phone, before recycling it, refurbishing it and breaking it down for parts. ShP is, by it’s own claim, the first of these and also one which I’ve just noticed has a new twist on it – offering up the money you’d have got your phone to charity.
ShPCharity is linked into a wide range of charities and users who offer their phones up for recycling can elect to give up to 100 per cent of what they would have received for their old device to the connected charity of their choice. It’s a neat idea and one that appeals on a number of levels.
Turning the process of offloading your old device into a multi-dimensional positive exercise has to help incentivise people to do something with their old devices. ShP reckons it donated over half a million pounds to charity last year (again, by it’s own admission) through the process of recycling old devices. That’s not bad I reckon.
If the whole charity aspect doesn’t appeal, there are other sites such as Love2Recycle and Mazuma which will simple hand over cash for the right devices. UK money saving expert Martin Lewis has a whole guide put together on the process involved and outlines what actually happens to your old devices, along with a comprehensive list of suppliers. If it’s something you’re considering, then it’s worth a look.
Remember too though, you can simply drop your old device off at any local Nokia Care point where it’ll be sent away to be recycled. UK users can also stick the device in an envelope marked “FREEPOST RECYCLE” and put it in the post. I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do with mine. How about you?