It has long-since become second nature that we need to recycle and properly take care of disposing of a lot of household items and waste we generate throughout our day-to-day lives. However, one of the everyday items that we need to deal with getting rid of that seems to still have some confusion around them are cell phones. Can you just simply throw your cell phone away when you get a new one? 

Proper Disposal

When it comes to disposing of your old cell phone, there is something you should really make sure you do first, and that is to remove all of your personal information from it. It is shocking how much sensitive and personal data can be stored on your phone even if you delete it. Make sure to factory reset your phone and remove the SIM/SD card from it before disposing of your phone. Removing the SIM/SD card is crucial, because the info stored here will not be wiped doing a factory reset. 

Once you have cleared your phone, you need to decide if it is damaged beyond repair, or if you simply upgraded to a new model. If it is still functional, then you should consider donating it instead of disposing of it. There are plenty of organizations and charities that take these types of donations. 

If your phone is truly trash, it is important to not simply throw it into the trash. Phones should be taken to specific mobile vendors or tech recycling centers in order to be disposed of properly, and in a way that limits the risk of the metals and toxins within this type of e-waste from getting into the groundwater (like if the phone were simply taken to a landfill.)

This post was written by Steven Elia Co-Founder and Recycling Director at eCycle Florida. eCycle Florida is a R2 Certified electronics recycling company in the state of Florida. Our processes and procedures are dedicated to the proper destruction and recycling of your electronics. eCycle Florida is your go-to for electronic recycling in Tampa.