Smartphones are arguably one of the best technology inventions of the past several decades. When the first smartphone was released in 1994, people were interested but weren’t quite on board. Fast-forward to 1999, when BlackBerry launched its device with enhanced tools and features, and the culture of smartphones was truly born.

If you were among the first to get a BlackBerry back in the day, then you’ve likely gone through quite a few smartphones at this point. Generally speaking, smartphones last about two and a half years and then start slowing down, have issues updating, and aren’t able to run the latest software and apps. With an abundance of devices and plans to choose from, most people don’t even think twice about getting a new one. However, what happens to all the obsolete smartphones and all the waste they create?
The excess of waste that these devices have created is what spurred the smartphone recycling movement. Recycling your smartphone could be worth your while as Apple and Samsung will often allow you to trade your old phone in and receive cash back to buy a new one. But that’s not the only reason that smartphone recycling is important. Let’s take a deeper dive into what makes smartphone recycling a crucial practice.
Electronics Take an Incredibly Long Amount of Time to Break Down in Landfills
One thing that may surprise you is how long a typical smartphone, or any electronic device for that matter, takes to break down in a landfill. On average, electronic waste can take anywhere from 500 to two million years to break down. Yes, you read that correctly. Plastic takes about 500 years to break down, and glass can take up to two million years to break down!
Now factor that into the number of phones that may currently be sitting in mountain-like piles in landfills, and it’s pretty mind-blowing. It makes sense that people shouldn’t be adding to the electronic waste. Thankfully, there are options nowadays.
Ensure the Hazardous Materials Inside the Smartphone Are Properly Disposed Of
Besides the metal, glass, and plastic components in your phone, there are also some hazardous materials. If the smartphone isn’t properly recycled, then there is a risk that the cadmium, mercury, and lead in the phone will seep into the surrounding soil and eventually water. It’s a scary thought and one that people need to be mindful of. When you recycle your smartphone, these hazardous materials are disposed of properly, which means there is no risk of contamination.
You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About Discarding Your Device
Sometimes it’s not so much that you need to replace your smartphone, but you want to. Every year, all the top manufacturers release new models with new, exciting features. It’s only natural to want those features for yourself, and if you rely on your smartphone for work purposes, then a new one may even be necessary.
Tech devices provide people with all kinds of uses and benefits, but unfortunately, they tend to have very short lifespans. It’s an ever-evolving industry that is constantly bettering itself. If guilt had been holding you back from getting a new smartphone, recycling your old one can erase those feelings. You know that it won’t be adding to electronic waste, and the components will be disposed of properly.
Trade In Your Current Phone to Receive Credit on a New Device
As mentioned in the intro, trading in your current phone to receive credit on a new device is a common practice nowadays. It’s a way to make your next purchase more affordable, which in theory means you may be able to upgrade more regularly. Just be sure to ask the smartphone provider what they do with the old devices. Do they refurbish them and re-sell them or recycle them? What is their practice?
There May Be a Way to Repurpose Your Smartphone
While recycling your smartphone is great and certainly helps the environment, you may want to hang on to it a little longer. Repurposing your smartphone is a popular and smart (pun intended) approach. It’s all about looking at your device differently, and asking yourself how it could still be useful in your life.
Some of the most common ways that people repurpose their smartphones include:
- Giving it to your tween or teenager. It’s ideal as a first device since you don’t have to spend a small fortune on it. If it gets broken, it’s not a big deal.
- Using it as a home security camera. There are apps you can download that work as a DIY security camera. This is much cheaper than having a professional system installed in the home.
- Making it a dedicated mobile gaming console. If you delete everything but games and entertainment from the phone, it can help it run a little faster and smoother.
- Streaming online movies and content on it or using it exclusively as a music player.
- Transforming it into a portable online casino by visiting sites such as casinos.com.
- Turning it into an e-reader.
Recycling Your Smartphone Opens Up Possibilities and Is a Win-Win
It’s great that people have become much more aware of their environmental footprint over the past few decades and are taking steps to reduce it. Electronic waste is some of the worst type of waste out there, taking hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years to break down. Finding ways to recycle your smartphone means you don’t have to feel guilty when it’s time for an upgrade. And even better, there may be ways you can repurpose your old device.
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