How to Dispose off Cell Phones

If you have your eyes and your heart set on that new Apple iPhone 4 or a new Android smartphone, then maybe it is time to go get it and get rid of your old cell phone. The channel that you choose for disposing of your old phone will obviously depend on how long it has been used, what state it is in and what its resale value is. If the old model can fetch you around $50 or more, it would be a bad idea to simply throw it into the trash.

An average American user changes his cell phone every 18 months, and with the large influx of quality phones available in the market today, this time period is constantly becoming lower and lower as well. If you happen to own a smartphone that you just bought a few months ago, then you would naturally be looking for a means to get rid of the phone and get some money for it. An exchange offer with a dealer that is familiar to you will also be an appealing option for most people.

Learn About Cell Phone Disposal

There are a few fixed methods through which you can get rid of your old cell phone, and the choice you make will depend on the value of the device at present. Here are the options that you can pick from.

• You can either resell to a dealer who deals with used and second hand phones, or you can sell it to someone you know who is willing to buy it from you. The negotiation of the price will have to be managed by you.
• You can also choose to simply donate your old one to someone who needs it. There are many organizations who collect old models for charitable purposes.
• Many groups of service providers, manufacturers and other organizations also give you the option to recycle the phone. They either sell the devices as refurbished models, or they recycle certain usable parts from within the device.
• If you have simply decided to throw the device in the trash, then there are certain tips and pointers that you need to keep in mind. In this Buzzle article we will be giving you the lowdown on this method.

The biggest danger and risk when you are throwing your regular phone or a disposable one away is that these phones contain a lot of personal information and data. If the device accidentally comes into the hands of a malicious person all this data could be misused. This is something that you need to guard yourself against. Cell phones that can access the Internet are also commonly used for banking purposes and net transactions, so the possibility of them getting some vital information is certainly very high. Moreover, cell phones also contain some materials that are harmful to the environment, so you should dispose them in the correct and most appropriate manner.

Where to Dispose of Cell Phones

Before you figure out how to dispose of old cell phones you must remove all personal information from the device. Remove the SIM card and destroy it, carry out a hard reset so that all data is removed and the phone reverts back to its factory settings, delete all contacts and their information, delete all messages of all sorts and also remove all pictures and web history if some data still remains after the hard reset.

Once you have gotten rid of the potentially harmful personal data, you must find the right way to dispose the phone. The radiation and the electronic composition of cell phones will ensure that harmful materials stay in the environment for a long time, so picking the right path is vital and essential. The best course of action is to go online and find a local center where you can dispose of cell phones. Every state and almost every city has one such center, and they will ensure that any potential environmental damage is avoided. If you are unable to find this local center, call up your service provider and ask them what you should do. They may be providing such a service themselves or they may know what course of action you can follow. They are supposed to know this by law, so they will definitely help you out.

The best course of action that you can take is contacting a concerned charity and getting them to help you. These charities will either donate your cell phone to someone who is in need of one, or they will dispose it for you in the right manner, or they will recycle the phone or some parts of it. You do not need to pay them for this purpose, and in fact, they get paid for every cell phone that they recycle. Finding such charities in your locality will not be a problem at all.

Following the right path does not take much effort, and you can also get the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping out someone in need and that you are not damaging the environment. In some places, throwing a cell phone into the trash is illegal and you could also get punished for it, so always think wisely before you choose your channel.