Of course, it varies from place to place, but in general when you decide to recycle your old mobile phone for cash, there are a few different ways you can get paid:

Dick Tracy had one in the 1940s. In the 1980s, it was Michael Knight. Now, you can have one too. What is it? It’s a WatchPhone!

Recycling your old mobile could make you enough cash for an indulgent night out
Valentine’s Day 2010 is set to be one of the toughest yet, with British couples still feeling the effects of a recession not looking forward to stumping up a small fortune as they try to impress their loved ones. Without even exchanging [...]

We love our mobiles; they make our lives easier, keeping us in constant touch with the world through voice, text, Internet, and picture. They give us a sense of security; providing access to help or advice if/when needed. They instil a sense of importance; there is something ego-boosting about carrying a mobile, don’t you think? But, with all of its advantages, mobile phone technology also presents a darker side. Of course, most things do.

A few months ago, the Internet was abuzz with conversations about a mobile phone recycling company. Apparently, quite a few people felt they were being scammed. They were sending in what they thought to be a perfectly good phone only to have the company tell them it was damaged and, of course, substantially reducing the offer.

The first mobile phones were, in fact, mobile two-way radios. They weren’t for general public use; more for specialised vehicles that required communication—police cars, ambulances, taxis, etc. More than a bit cumbersome, the two-way radio was either fitted into the vehicle permanently or carried around in a bag, using the cigarette lighter as its power source.

In order to even begin thinking about recycling your mobile, you have to make sure it’s in the right condition.

Every morning at an inglorious hour—which is anything before 10 AM—my alarm clock startles me awake. I hit the snooze, turn on the television, and pretend I’m still sleeping for another 15 minutes. The snooze goes off again, and I’m up—facing my day, whether ready to or not. The kettle goes on, the cats get fed, my face gets washed, and my mobile battery is checked for charge. It’s like clockwork; an almost-instinctual order of events created by years of habit. But when exactly did my mobile become such an important part of my morning ritual?

The other day one of my husband’s work mates was asking around for an old mobile phone he could buy. “Any phone will do; I don’t need fancy or slick, just a phone with buttons that I can use to make phone calls on.”

I remember the first time I heard about a mobile phone recycling programme. A shop near me was collecting phones to sell and/or redistribute with the intention of helping once-battered women try to start new lives. “What a great idea,” I thought! I mean, I change mobile phones almost as often as I change socks—what better way to get rid of the ones I don’t use anymore.