Last Tango In Phoneland

How many of us have old mobile phones hanging around in drawers or cupboards at home, that we once had plans for, but which now simply languish, forgotten and gathering dust? I've just put my own hand up, here, remembering at least two of these old relics, seething with evil chemicals and chock-full of recyclable parts, that have just been lying around 'while I made a decision on what to do with them', and I've simply got busy and forgotten all about them.  Now those old phones of mine (and probably yours as well!) are more or less obsolete, so of no real use as devices fit for modern-day purpose, as far as most users would want. But don't worry - that doesn't mean they can't find another, responsible destiny...

Most of us know that mobile phones have a rough shelf life of two good years, maximum, so its not long before they are replaced, which means that there are an awful lot just lying around.  They also contain a variety of components, such as plastics and metals - some of which are potentially valuable and reusable, such as silver. While that phone lying there at the back of the drawer probably won't make you rich with its silver content, it does have value in any number of ways, to other people if not to you.  Charities such as Oxfam and the Red Cross will accept old phones, as they can get money for them when they send them to phone recyclers.  Friends or family can often be grateful for the temporary use of an "old" mobile phone that still works, if they've broken or lost their own and are awaiting a replacement.  I had a friend come over to stay with me from another country, so she was able to borrow my old phone on a PAYG plan while she was here that worked out a lot cheaper than the international roaming plan she was on from her own country. 

Working phones can be sold on eBay or via the various second hand and pawn shops dotted around in most towns and cities. Your chances of getting the best price are greatly enhanced if you still have the original box, operating instructions and any dedicated accessories that make the phone an attractive prospect, such as a spare battery, good quality earphones, car charger, etc.  Just be aware of what commission you may have to pay in any selling process before you make the deal.  By the time eBay has taken its commission, you might have ended up with a better price from a High Street pawn shop!

But what of the phones that are too old, obsolete, broken, or simply dead for reasons unknown?  Sometimes, unless you have insurance, it's cheaper to buy a new phone than to get an existing one fixed.  What's meant to happen to those? You can of course simply take them to a local household waste and recycling centre and put them into a designated container, but charity shops (and their beneficiaries) will be a lot more grateful for the same sort of effort you would make doing that, to be directed towards them instead, to enable them to dispose of the phones responsibly and derive a little income from doing it. 

Well, aside from the already mentioned charity shops, old dead phones can also be offloaded on freebie websites, since there's always someone who wants to use them for repair practice, working on the basis that they do sometimes get lucky, get them working and make a little profit.  The various internal parts can be valuable to someone who knows what they're doing, for largely the same reasons.  Mobile phones contain aerials, battery connectors, PCBs (printed circuit boards), connectors including gold-coated edge contacts on PCBs, ICs (integrated circuits), keyboards, LCD screens, lenses, microphones, phone housings, screws, SIM card assemblies and speakers. 

When a mobile phone has dished up all its bits of any value, it is then typically ground up, and all remaining useful metal content is extracted, including the metal in the battery. So there's a lot more of value than you first might think.  And someone who knows how to get at the silver, through the dedicated process of extraction, is definitely onto something and will happily run off into the sunset with that antiquated brick you used to love!  The plastic bits are also recoverable, and can be re-formulated to be used as various industrial and domestic mouldings.

The Responsibility

Mobile phone disposal should never be included in the conventional dumping of household waste.  Why?  Because plastic doesn't break down, metals can corrode, and valuable resources that could have been recycled in any number of positive ways are left to languish in the earth.  Even more importantly, mobile phones contain some incredibly nasty chemicals such as lead, mercury, bromine, and cadmium.  Let's take a look at these little lovelies that have been nestling nicely next to your ear for however long...

Lead: research suggests that lead exposure (particularly in children) leads to growth, hearing and concentration problems, along with headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, digestive problems, learning disabilities, antisocial behaviour and even brain damage.

Mercury: long term exposure to mercury can lead to memory problems, double vision or blindness, tachycardia, hypertension, seizures and potentially death.

Bromine: bromine poisoning lowers blood pressure and can lead to brain or permanent kidney damage.  The central nervous system can be affected, and thyroid function can be impaired, leading to memory problems, learning difficulties and hyperactivity.

Cadmium: compelling research indicates that this well known carcinogen can also cause lung inflammation, respiratory failure, gene mutations, DNA breaks and cell transformation, leading to severe and sometimes fatal birth defects.

So, overall, not the happiest of lists then, huh? And not the kind of stuff we'd happily be responsible for allowing to seep into places where it could cause real and serious harm...

More information about the toxicity threat of exposure to mobile phone components can be found by clicking the blue skull!

Left in landfill sites, and not responsibly recycled, mobile phones can leach these and other toxic chemicals into the earth, which can find their way into vital water systems and compromise human and animal health.  Not only is it irresponsible to dispose of mobile phones (and other electronic items too, such as laptops etc) in such a way, it is also a missed opportunity - to reuse valuable resources that are finite on our planet.

So even if you've got an old dinosaur-phone that you don't believe anyone else would want, think again!  And, rather than having it sitting there forever and a day, ageing not-so-gracefully, gurgling away with all its chemicals, attracting layer upon layer of dust or lying forlornly in a forgotten box somewhere under the bed, if it's not heavy enough to weigh down a dead body (in those times when you need that), it probably isn't of any real use to you.

If it has no real resale value and you need to get rid of it, please do think about your local charity shop.  There's bound to be one, not far from where you live, that you could drop it into.  Charity shops need all the help they can get.  They work hard to help the less fortunate, and supporting them by donating your old mobile phone does three significant things: 1) the charity gets a little money for the phone to use to help its beneficiaries, 2) the components are dealt with safely and appropriately recycled to avoid harm to health and the environment, and 3) one more old dust trap is gone from your house! 

Disclaimer: The information in this article has been directly derived from online research publications, and no responsibility can be taken for any inaccuracies thus reported.