Every year, millions of smartphones are thrown in the trash and end up in landfills. A waste generating an ecological disaster as a bonus. Still, there are a slew of ways to recycle your old smartphone and reduce your impact on the environment.
Here are 8 ideas for recycling or otherwise using your old smartphone.
1. Resell it
© Unsplash / David Monje
This is obviously the most profitable solution: reselling your old smartphone will allow you to recover some money on your initial purchase. You can choose to resell it to someone you know, via social networks or opt for platforms like Leboncoin.
Beyond the financial aspect, reselling your smartphone mainly allows you to extend its lifespan since it will be reused by another person, rather than ending up in the trash.
2. Opt for reconditioning
© Back Market
If you don’t feel like immersing yourself in negotiations or posting an ad online, you can opt for the refurbishment solution. Platforms like Rebuy or BackMarket allow you to return your old phone for refurbishment.
If it is in good condition, a reconditioner will replace a few parts and put it back on the market. On your side, you can get a good price. If it is in poor condition, the reconditioner will recover the still viable parts and integrate them into models in need of minor repairs. Your recovery price will be lower but you will be doing something for the planet.
Refurbishment has experienced a boom in recent years. As the market has reached a certain maturity and the renewal period is getting longer, consumers are turning more to this method of purchase. The crisis has also passed through there.
3. Send it for recycling
Daisy, the iPhone recycling robot / © Apple
If your phone is too old or too damaged to be reused, it can be recycled. Recycling involves taking the phone apart and recovering materials that can be reused, such as metals, glass, and plastic.
These materials can then be used to make new electronics or other products such as jewelry and musical instruments. Many companies offer recycling services, and some even offer financial incentives to encourage people to recycle their phones.
4. Give it to someone or an association
© Ivan Samkov / Pexels
If you don’t need cash or just want to help those most in need, you can simply give your phone to someone or an association.
Many charities collect used smartphones to donate to people in need. We are thinking, for example, of Emmaüs Connect which, beyond providing telephones, supports people with a digital divide in learning how to use tech products.
5. Use it as a decorative item
© Unsplash / Jess Bailey
Apart from sale or donation, your old smartphone can also be transformed, for example as a decorative item. Photo holder, charging stand, clock or even as a lamp, there are many creative ideas on the Internet to reuse used phones, so do not hesitate to search and try some.
6. Turn it into an audio station
© Lemon squeezer
Some smartphones are too old to function optimally but can still run music or radio apps. So you can download music streaming apps on your old phone and connect it to speakers to stream music.
7. Make it a portable console
© Oppo
Another creative way to recycle your old smartphone is to turn it into a portable game console. You can download game emulators to your phone and use controllers to play retro games from consoles like the Nintendo Gameboy, Sega Genesis, or Super Nintendo.
There are also tutorials online that show how to create a custom case for your phone that turns it into a portable console. This may be a great option for retrogaming enthusiasts who want to extend the life of their old phone while reducing their impact on the environment.
Note that you still have to be prepared to do a little tinkering and tinkering to achieve your goals.
8. Turn it into a home automation station
© Amazon
Do you have connected lights, connected speakers, connected thermostats? And if you turn your old smartphone into a home automation station?
There are apps you can download to turn your phone into a home automation station, which lets you control these devices remotely from your phone. iOS or Android devices even have their own interfaces (Google Home and Home) to control all your connected devices.
Just be careful about any new devices you might buy. Some are not necessarily compatible with the OS of your smartphone, even if this limit is increasingly rare.
9. Use your phone as a surveillance camera
© Lemon squeezer
A little security can’t hurt, can it? Yes, you can use your old phone as a home security camera. There are apps you can download to turn your phone into a surveillance camera, which records images and videos and sends them to your current phone.
You can also use your old phone to monitor your pet when you are not at home. Just remember to leave it plugged into a power source (the battery drains quickly).
10. Turn it into a universal remote
© Presse-citron.net
If your old phone is starting to get really old and its performance is too limited for the uses presented above, you can transform into a universal remote control to control electronic devices in your home.
Again, there are apps to turn your phone into a universal remote, allowing you to control your TV, Blu-ray player, sound system and other devices.
As you will have understood, there is no shortage of ideas for recycling your old smartphone. And you, do you have any other cool tips?
