Are you considering your options for those mobile devices collecting dust in your junk drawer? You know you shouldn’t throw them out to end up in a landfill, but you might be thinking, “Recycling sounds great, but where does my old phone go?”
As a Certified B Corp dedicated to sustainable cell phone and e-waste recycling, Big Sky Recycling has partnered with countless individuals and businesses to give their old cell phones a second life. Let’s dive in and examine the recycling phone process together.
The Journey of a Recycled Phone
1. Collection
Start by printing a shipping label—shipping is free when you recycle five or more cell phones to Big Sky—and go through our pre-shipment checklist to learn how to erase data and safely package your e-waste. Don’t worry if the device is dead and you can’t remove the data yourself, we ensure data destruction on all recycled cell phones. Then, all you need to do is schedule an at-home pickup or drop your package off at USPS.
2. Repurposing
Once we receive the cell phones, any eligible devices are refurbished and resold. At Big Sky, the proceeds from reused cell phones support our partner charities. Occasionally, recycling of refurbished phones or tablets themselves is helpful, but in most cases, our partners prefer financial donations over physical devices.
3. Collecting Materials
Devices that can’t be refurbished and resold are disassembled to collect the usable materials. Cell phones are composed of valuable materials, including gold, silver, and platinum, and recycling one phone reclaims all the metals needed to manufacture a new one.
Gold, used in phone circuit boards, is the most valuable material, with strip mining for new cell phones generating 79 tons of toxic waste for one clean ounce of gold. Phone chargers contain copper, which can also be reused. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from recycling cell phones is staggering; just one million recycled mobile phones is equivalent to taking 1,368 cars off the road for a year.
4. Recycling
Old devices that can’t be repurposed are disassembled and responsibly recycled, with the data destroyed.
Phone parts that can be recycled include:
- Metals
- LCD screens
- Microphones
- Aerials
- Battery connectors
- Screws
- Speakers
- Batteries
These extracted materials are typically sent to manufacturers to be used in the production of new products, ranging from new electronic devices to other items like jewelry or automotive parts.
Choose Big Sky for Your Cell Phone Recycling
When you recycle your phone with Big Sky Recycling, you help protect the environment and reduce electronic waste. Our secure recycling program accepts most devices, even those that no longer work, and ensures they are processed responsibly. Trust your used cell phone with the recycling pros and get started today.