Precious phones

Eco-design expert and Dumped guru, Rob Holdway, gives you the lowdown on our volunteers, rubbish and Dumped.

How easy is it to recycle a mobile phone? What happens to most of the old phones in this country?

Mobiles are the most sophisticated bits of ubiquitous technology we have ever owned. Most end up in our draws or landfill. Yet an increasing number are reused and recycled.

There are estimated to be 90 million phones in the UK! The average phone user moves to a new model every 18 months or less. 18 million phones are purchased every year. Less than 5% are recycled.

Mobiles contain precious metals, gold, platinum and copper, and all are worth cash. They also contain toxic materials like cadmium. Try and keep your phone for longer. If not, why not send it to a charity, like Oxfam, ActionAid or even the Hedgehog Preservation Society. On average, each working handset is worth £5 to a charity but some are worth much more.