Mobile phone ownership has increased dramatically over the past 20 years or so, and there are now over 70 million handsets in circulation in the UK…that’s more than one for every person!
What’s probably more surprising is that a large number of these phones lie in our drawers at home doing absolutely nothing. So which phones are we most likely to discard in favour of new and better models, and how much exactly are they worth?
According to Envirofone.com, these are the top 5 mobile phones that are currently starring on the technology scrap heap. Here (and in no particular order) is the good, the bad and the price tag (i.e. the top price you’d get if you recycled it) for each.
1. Nokia 6300
The good: Overall great features and functions
The bad: Not much, but some complaints around the overall look
The price tag: £33.00
2. Nokia N95 8GB
The good: Great looking and packed full of gadgets
The bad: Reports of unreliable software and sat nav function
The price tag: £112.10
3. Sony Ericsson K800i
The good: Fantastic features and usability
The bad: A big thumbs down on design
The price tag: £24.00
4. Samsung G600
The good: Easy-to-use basic functions
The bad: The supposedly revolutionary 5mp camera was a revolutionary disappointment!
The price tag: £13.00
5. Nokia 6500 Slide
The good: The usual excellent usability from Nokia
The bad: Tinny and crackly speakers and therefore difficult to hold a conversation
The price tag: £37.00
Mobile phone recycling
So what should you do with all those old-fashioned, broken, scratched and unloved mobile phones that you’ve accumulated over the years? There are a range of good phone recycling schemes out there, for example Fonebank, Envirophone and Mazuma, if you want to sell on your handset and make a bit of cash. All you have to do is request a bag, post it off and wait for your cheque to arrive in the post. Another option is to donate your phone to charity to help raise funds for worthwhile causes.
The Co-operative Group is committed to tackling global poverty and making a positive contribution to communities both in the UK and in the developing world, which is why we’ve worked with Oxfam since 2004 to provide a phone recycling scheme with a difference.
All your old handsets, iPods and digital cameras can either be refurbished or recycled to raise funds for the charity. So far we’ve raised over £310,000 – enough to fund Oxfam’s HIV and AIDS programme in Malawi for a year – but we don’t want to stop there.
An average handset will raise enough money to buy two bags of seed for a family affected by HIV and AIDS, enabling them to grow and eat more, which is absolutely critical in a country where 85% of people live hand to mouth on a daily basis.
Two working mobile phones will pay for a drama workshop to help educate communities about HIV and AIDS, essential in a country where so many are unable to read or write, and just six phones will raise enough cash to provide a ‘positive living’ pack for a HIV and AIDS health-care volunteer, enabling them to keep whole communities fit and healthy through the provision of food, medicines, soap, blankets and training.
Customers and members can send up to five phones at a time in one of our FREEPOST recycling bags, which will help Oxfam to continue with their essential work in Malawi. Recycling bags are available in branches of The Co-operative Food, Pharmacy and Travel or you can request a recycling bag by visiting our mobile phone recycling scheme section.
Image credit: Jane Beesley/Oxfam