The world is abuzz with Verizon’s announcement that it will now carry the iPhone. Many loyal customers are already excited about joining the phenomenon and switching to the iPhone. While I think that is great, I do wonder where their old phones will end up. If you get a new cell phone this year (even if it’s not an iPhone), please check out these companies that accept phone donations to save your old phone from the landfill.
Cell Phones for Soldiers
Cell Phones for Soldiers was created by Brittany & Robbie Bergquist of Norwell MA. After reading a story about a soldier who ran up a huge phone bill calling home from Iraq, these two teenagers decided to help out. They collect both cash donations and old cell phones. The cell phones are recycled for cash, and the proceeds are used to buy prepaid calling cards for our soldiers serving in the Middle East. Their goal is to provide every US soldier with a way to call home for free.
American Cell Phone Drive
American Cell Phone Drive is devoted to the socially responsible re-use of retired cellular telephones and cell phone components. They raise funds for charitable organizations which provide scholarships for American children who have lost a parent to enemy or terrorist acts, feed malnourished children in Asia, build low-income housing, donate prepaid calling cards to military personnel, sponsor missionaries in China, and support a host of other good works. AmericanCellPhoneDrive.org cellular phone collection drives have also been used as school fundraisers, to finance community recreation programs and to provide working telephones and 911 services to at-risk individuals who would otherwise be without phone service.
CALL to PROTECT
CALL to PROTECT is a national philanthropic program aimed at combating domestic violence. All donated phones are sent to ReCellular, Inc. Here they are either refurbished and sold, or recycled. One hundred percent of the net proceeds generated by the sale of the refurbished phones are used to make grants to national organizations working to end family violence. All phones donated that are obsolete or damaged are recycled according to strict environmental standards.
Before you donate your phone, make sure that you restore the settings to the “factory settings”. This will delete information, text messages, pictures, and other sensitive information that is on your phone. Each phone is different so make sure to check the owner’s manual or Google for directions.
Even if you no longer have a use for your old cell phone, there are a plenty of companies out there that would love your phone. These three companies are just a few that try to keep old cell phones out of the trash and put them to good use instead. And remember that any non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that you donate to is tax deductible. (Do contact your tax advisor regarding the value of your phone and how to deduct this off your taxes.) What good use will you put your old cell phone to this year?
Update: Before picking up that new iPhone at Verizon, you may want to consider one of the organizations above. But, if you don’t feel that any of those listed are a good fit for you, then take a look at this informative piece at charityguide.org
The article at Charity Guide provides some good resources to recycle and/or donate your old, non-iPhone phone.
Make sure to visit Green Earth News’ Green Is Grand section for more on eco-friendly living!
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Target is also doing it’s own recycle/resuse program. My SIL traded in her old iPhone 3Gs and my BIL iPhone 3G and got a $250 credit towards the purchase of her iPhone4. It ended up only costing her $11 dollars! Here’s information on the program: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20014762-17.html
Nice article. Our company also specializes in buying back used cell phones. The Blue Dot generally even pays more for your used phone. Our motto is – we will reuse, recycle, or resell your device. We even pay for sending the phone back to us. Anyone can come to our site and get a perosnalised price quote for your device.
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