When you get a new model of your cell phone or another type of mobile phone entirely, you may wonder how you should dispose of your old one. Should you just throw it in the garbage? This isn’t the ideal – here are some reasons why you shouldn’t throw your phone in the trash.
Toxins in Phones
There actually are some toxic chemicals that are in cell phones that include lead, arsenic, and cadmium. These materials can leak out into the ecosystem and negatively impact the surrounding plant life and animals as well as have an effect on our food supply. That’s a big reason to avoid having your phone end up in a landfill.
Personal Information Can Be Compromised
Whether it’s your phone or computer, you want to maintain your privacy. This means not putting your phone somewhere it can be found and someone can access your personal information. Even if you think of your phone as broken, someone may still be able to recover the data that’s on it.
Make a Pretty Penny
In some instances, you might be able to sell your phone. You can go to a local marketplace page to post a photo and your asking price along with some details. Or, you can try bringing this to a pawn shop to see what you might get.
Recycling is Better
Did you know that you can recycle cell phones today? That’s right, there are now facilities that will recycle phones and some other electronics. This allows the company to make use of the phone in some way and keeps it from going to waste.
EcoATMs for the Future
You may be wondering what is ecoATM? EcoATMs are the next wave of the future. Use a trade-in kiosk that’s usually in a public space to get rid of your used phones and other electronics. You will likely get back some money, which is an excellent reason to give this a try. Find out where there are ecoATMs locally by performing a keyword search for “ecoATMs near me” and you aren’t going to regret it.