Where to Recycle Old Mobile Phones: 10 Top Locations & Programs

For those possessing an “old electronics” box sitting in a basement or merely an iPhone that has seen better days, it’s worth considering recycling.

Where is the best place to recycle old cell phones?

If you don’t want to spend hours finding the right place to recycle your old cell phones, here is a list of 10 options. Some are buyback programs or official channels, and others are nonprofit donations.

1. Best Buy

Best Buy has recycling kiosks in its stores in the U.S. and offers free in-store recycling. The company typically limits the number of devices to three per family per day. It works with recycling companies to ensure that phones and other electronics aren’t in landfills.

2. Staples

Staples accepts laptops, mobile phones, batteries, accessories, and more. Staples has over 1,000 stores in the U.S. and some international locations. The stores offer gift cards in exchange for trade-ins of certain devices. Rewards members can rack up points for bringing in devices to recycle.

3. Your carrier or manufacturer

Many carriers or manufacturers offer recycling programs. AT&T has a trade-in program for unwanted phones and accessories regardless of manufacturer or carrier. The owner gets a “promotion card” to reduce the price of a new phone or other purchase. Verizon also offers a trade-in program in which the owner receives an electronic gift card once they send in the phone and have it appraised.

Apple stores and Google recycle used products for free.

4. Local establishments

Your city undoubtedly has places to recycle old phones. Most government websites, including those in New York City, offer directions on where to recycle phones. Many cities have nonprofits that donate old phones as well. The EPA has an option to find out what electronics you can recycle with mail-in options.

SEE: Recycling plastics and other waste can be a key part of tech products’ life cycles.

5. Eco-Cell

Eco-Cell is a Louisville, Kentucky-based e-waste recycling company. It partners with nonprofits and organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute. Bins are located in coffee shops and other businesses nationwide, where the collected phones are shipped to Eco-Cell in Louisville. If the phones are reusable, they resell them and pass some of the money back to the owner. If they are not reusable, the phones are recycled, and the owner is paid the money for the value of the recycled materials.

6. Medic’s Phone Donation Program

The Hope Phones campaign was started in 2009 by Medic Mobile, which works to advance health care in 16 countries by using mobile technology. Now known as Medic’s Phone Donation Program, individuals, nonprofits, groups, or businesses can donate old phones. The mobile devices are recycled and valued, so the nonprofit can get new technology for the field. Most old models are valued at $5, but newer smartphones are regularly valued at $80, according to the website. Send a phone to the program by boxing it up and shipping it to the Colorado address provided on the website.

7. Cell Phones for Soldiers

Cell Phones for Soldiers is a nonprofit that provides cost-free communication services to active-duty military and veterans. Proceeds from the phones go to purchasing international calling cards. New or gently used mobile phones are accepted, and each device valued at $5 turns into 2.5 hours of free talk time for the soldiers.

8. Gazelle

Gazelle is one of the most popular trade-in options for old cell phones. The resell company is headquartered in Boston, Louisville, Kentucky, and Texas. Select your phone’s brand, model, and carrier, describe its shape, and then get an offer. Ship it for free, and receive a check or a gift card to Amazon.com or PayPal after Gazelle assesses its worth.

9. Call2Recycle

Call2Recycle is a no-cost recycling program for batteries and cell phones in the U.S. and Canada. It has collection boxes that can be placed anywhere with shipping permits, so mailing them is easy. Call2Recycle offers bulk shipping if you want to send them any recyclables.

10. EcoATM

EcoATM is an automated kiosk that collects your unwanted cell phones and tablets and gives you cash for them. It’s made by the same people who make CoinStar, so you’ll find them by the checkout lines at various grocery store chains. It accepts devices from any era or in any condition and offers anywhere between a few bucks to a few hundred dollars in return. EcoATM partners with R2-certified e-waste reclamation facilities to ensure they are recycled or give the phones a second life.

Some users report technical issues with EcoATM machines or receiving less cash than expected. When recycling money devices, be aware that the trade-in ecosystem can be volatile. Services provide an estimate upfront but may pay differently once they inspect a specific device.

What should you do with old mobile phones?

Consider upgrading the hardware or software of your old mobile phone as much as possible before trading it in for a new model, as long as everything works properly. Don’t throw it out at the curb if you wish to dispose of it. Electronics and their batteries are illegal to dispose of in the trash in some states due to the toxic substances their innards contain. Batteries, in particular, can be hazardous to dispose of.

How to prepare a cell phone for recycling?

Be sure to deactivate your phone service and remove any data you want to keep. You may want to wipe a phone using the factory reset option before recycling to remove your personal data. If you send your device to a program where it will be physically recycled, any personal data on that phone will be destroyed. If a phone is refurbished, personal data will be removed.