where can i donate phones

by Vincent Reichel 8 min read

10 places to recycle your cell phone

  1. EcoATM. EcoATM is an automated kiosk that collects your unwanted cell phones and tablets and gives you cash for them.
  2. Eco-Cell. Eco-Cell is a Louisville, Kentucky-based e-waste recycling company. ...
  3. Best Buy. ...
  4. Hope Phones. ...
  5. Cell Phones for Soldiers. ...
  6. Gazelle. ...
  7. Call2Recycle. ...
  8. Your carrier. ...
  9. Local places. ...
  10. Recycling for Charities. ...

Full Answer

Where to donate old cell phones locally?

If you can’t find the right cause for your donation, you can always sell your phone for cash via Flipsy.com, then donate your payout directly to your preferred charity. Related Help > How to properly dispose of an old or broken smartphone > The essential phone recycling guide > More charities for donating your used smartphones, video games & electronics > How to get rid of …

Where can you donate used cell phones?

Donate Today and Support Active Military and Veterans Find a Drop-Off Location With over 3,000 locations, our generous partners make it easy to donate your devices. Location Map Donate 10 or More Devices CPFS will pay for your shipping if you plan to ship 10 phones or more. Pre-Paid Shipping Donate Less Than 10 Devices … Donate Read More »

Where can you donate cell phones for soldiers?

So thanks, as always, for your donation of used phones and tablets to Secure the Call. To host a drive – call us at 301 891-2900 or email us at [email protected]. It really …

Where to donate cellphones for battered women?

DONATE Your PhonesAnd help those in need. DONATE Your Phones. And help those in need. It’s easy! Collect phones, print out a shipping label and mail. Best of all, we pay for shipping if you have multiple phones to donate. Do your part today!

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What is the nonprofit organization that takes your donated phone?

The nonprofit organization Cell4Pets will take your donated phone, sell it and give a portion of the proceeds to a no-kill animal shelter. 4. Cell Phones for Soldiers. Cell Phones for Soldiers accepts mobile devices to give to active-duty members of the military as well as veterans.

What is 911 cell phone bank?

Facilitated by law enforcement agencies and support groups, 911 Cell Phone Bank’s gets phones to people who may need to dial 911 in an emergency. The organization’s website says, “Your device donations go to vulnerable residents across the country.”

What does Oxfam do with old phones?

Oxfam, for example, offers a recycling project where owners can donate their old mobile phone and in turn, the charity will raise cash from every phone recycled to buy vital kit, such as water tanks and school books. If the phone is a dud they will be passed on to specialist recyclers.

What is American Cell Phone Drive?

The American Cell Phone Drive collects devices to distribute in communities across the nation. American Cell Phone Drive works with more than 4,000 organizations, the group says on its website.

What is cellular recycler?

Cellular Recycler, a nonprofit organization that specializes in electronic trade-ins, makes it easy to send in your old phone. It also offers a Collection Kit for organizations interested in holding trade-in fundraisers.

Can you dispose of a phone responsibly?

Many phones are made up of toxic materials that can harm the environment so you need to make sure that you dispose of them responsibly. And remember, if you’re donating your phone, make sure to wipe the data off your phone to get rid of all of your files, programs and apps on the device.

Does Pickup Please pick up your phone?

Available in 13 states, Pickup Please will pick up your phone for free and donate the proceeds to Vietnam Veterans of America. All you have to do is schedule a pickup online and a driver will arrive and leave you a tax deduction receipt.

Why do some organizations refurbish and reprogram phones?

Some organizations refurbish and reprogram phones to provide to needy individuals and law enforcement agencies and others sell donated cell phones as a way of raising money to provide services to disadvantaged populations.

What is 911 cell phone bank?

The 911 Cell Phone Bank accepts donations of used cell phones that are used to provide support and assistance to participating law enforcement entities and charitable organizations that provide services to victims throughout the United States. Nonprofit organizations that choose to participate in the program are asked to collect used phones and send them to the Cell Phone Bank. A donation is made for each phone received. Depending on condition and technology, some donated phones are recycled while others are refurbished and provided to participating law enforcement agencies as needed. You can send phones to them in the mail with a downloadable label or request a pickup if you have ten or more.

What is second wave recycling?

Second Wave Recycling will take donations of used cellphones that are working or non-working, as well as tablets. They sell the phones to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. All you need to do is download a self-paid shipping label from their website if you have one or two items, or a pre-paid shipping label if you have three or more. If you have over 100 items, they can arrange for special shipping arrangements.

What is the VA Advantage?

Veterans Advantage. This non-profit provides benefits for active duty military, veterans and their families on services like prescription drugs, financial planning and insurance. They will take used cell phones, as well as laptops, tablets, printer cartridges, ereaders and any other small, portable electronic devices.

Do cell phones need to be working to be donated?

Phones do not need to be working to be donated.

Can you use a pre-paid label for only one phone?

There are shipping labels, both self-paid and pre-paid, that you can download from the website and use to ship the phones to Secure the Call. You are welcome to use the pre-paid label for only one phone, although paying for shipping yourself will help the organization to save money.

Does NCADV take cell phones?

NCADV takes donated cell phones and sells them through Cellular Recycler to raise money for their organization. In addition to phones they also take laptops, MP3 players, video game systems and phone accessories like chargers, cords, and cases. If you donate three or more items, you can get free shipping to mail your items directly to them.

How many phones have been given away by soldiers?

Founded in 2004 by two young teenagers who were distraught after learning of a soldier who racked up an $8,000 phone bill while serving in Iraq, Cell Phones for Soldiers has since collected more than 20 million devices and given away more than 400 million minutes of talk time to service personnel.

How much of cell phones are recycled?

Even so, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently estimates only about 20 percent of all cell phones are recycled [source: LeBlanc ]. Most cell phone providers have drop-off bins or mail-in programs to make recycling your old phone easy, but there are lots of ways you can recycle your phone and give to others. ...

What is Medic Mobile?

Medic Mobile recycles and refurbishes old phones and tablets and uses the funds to buy mobile devices that medical workers use on the job in 26 countries, mostly in Asia, Latin America, or Africa. These devices register pregnancies, track disease outbreaks, and communicate about medical emergencies. Advertisement.

What are cell phones made of?

They're are made with precious metals, copper and plastics, all of which can be recycled to make new products. Even so, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently estimates only about 20 percent ...

What does NCADV do?

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) collects cell phones to help fund their programs. They accept phones and partner with Cellular Recycler, which sells refurbished electronics. Some of the funds from those sales then goes back to NCADV. They'll also accept other types of old electronics, too, including old laptops, digital cameras, video game consoles, and MP3 players, along with all of the related charging cords and accessories.

What is second wave recycling?

Second Wave Recycling is an organization that accepts older phones, iPods and MP3 players, tablets and e-readers, handheld gaming devices, smart watches and even charging cables. Newer and functional devices are refurbished and then sold for cash. Older devices are recycled. The money from those processes is donated to fund a designated charity. Second Wave is actively funding the Wounded Warrior Project, which offers support services for military personnel who've been hurt while serving the U.S., but the organization has supported other causes, too, including charities that benefit medical patients, domestic abuse survivors, animals rescues, and many others. You can choose which charity to support.

When was the first smartphone invented?

The very first smartphone was launched by IBM in 1992 and was released to the general public for purchase in 1994. This device wasn't entirely compact and was soon replaced by more innovative versions.

Donating fewer than three (3) phones?

Unfortunately, this does not qualify for free shipping. Please follow these instructions:

How much is my item worth?

Learn how much your donation will generate for NCADV with the below link.

Want to hold a collection?

Thank you for your support! Click here to order free collection boxes and posters and ship your items using the information under “Donating three or more phones” above. Have questions about holding a collection?

prepaid

CPFS will pay for your shipping if you plan to ship 10 phones or more.

Self-Paid

Thank you for taking the extra step to cover shipping costs for your donated devices! Not only is your device donation tax deductible but so are the shipping costs.

Find a Barrel

We have collection barrels set up all across the USA. To find a barrel that’s convenient to you, please click below. Barrel Locator →

Ship a Phone

Send us your phones and tablets today by using our self-paid or prepaid US Post Office shipping labels. Send Us Your Phones →

Host a Barrel

Know a good location for one of our barrels? Let’s talk. Setting it all up is easy and always free for your organization. Learn More →

Host a drive

30-Day drives are a great way to let everyone at your organization help out our program. Click here to get more info. Learn More →

Become a Partner

Are you a part of an organization that has a need for free 911 phones? Providing free emergency phones is what we do. Learn More →

Volunteer

VolunteeVolunteers are the heartbeat of our operation. There are so many ways you can volunteer with Secure the Call. Learn More →

Secure

We use specialized data erasure software that's in compliance with the DOD.

Easy & Free

We accept all types of smartphones, tablets, handheld game consoles & basic phones, plus we provide shipping labels to send your devices to us.

Help others, Feels Great

A single phone can help support those in need. Plus it feels great and helps the environment!

What happens if you can't reuse a machine?

If the items cannot be reused, a machine will shred the contents into a fine grained mixture. The mixture is then separated via magnets, conveyor belts, and a water solution. The intact hardware is shipped for reuse, while the granular material is sorted into massive batches than manufacturers can use.

How much e-waste is recycled in the US?

The United States produces 9.4 million tons of e-waste every year, more than any other country, and only 12.5% of it is recycled. Worldwide, the number swells to 50 million tons per year. Needless to say, if you recycle your old phone system hardware, you'll be part of the solution instead of the problem.

Is it ok to recycle old PBX?

If neither of the two options above work for you, recycling your old PBX hardware is an eco-friendly option for outdated and retired equipment. Rather than throw your electronics away, recycle them to help reduce waste.

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Risks

  • Whatever you do, don't simply chuck your old phone in the garbage. They contain lithium-ion batteries that constitute a real fire hazard, and they can even explode in some circumstances. By one estimate, 65 percent of waste facility fires (in California, at least) were ignited due to discarded cell phone batteries [source: Siegal].
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Composition

  • In addition to the possibility of fire, cell phones electronics are composed of a veritable treasure trove of valuable components. They're are made with precious metals, copper and plastics, all of which can be recycled to make new products. Even so, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently estimates only about 20 percent of all cell phones are recycled [source: LeBlanc].
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Operations

  • The organization collects old phones which it sells to a recycler or an electronic refurbisher, depending on the condition. It uses the proceeds to buy long distance calling cards, which are distributed to men and women who are serving in the military. Each phone donated buys about one hour of talk time for soldiers.
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Equipment

  • The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) collects cell phones to help fund their programs. They accept phones and partner with Cellular Recycler, which sells refurbished electronics. Some of the funds from those sales then goes back to NCADV. They'll also accept other types of old electronics, too, including old laptops, digital cameras, video game consoles, a…
See more on electronics.howstuffworks.com

Technology

  • Second Wave Recycling is an organization that accepts older phones, iPods and MP3 players, tablets and e-readers, handheld gaming devices, smart watches and even charging cables. Newer and functional devices are refurbished and then sold for cash. Older devices are recycled. The money from those processes is donated to fund a designated charity. As...
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Purpose

  • Did you know that all cell phones sold in the U.S., regardless of their carrier subscription status, must be able to dial 911 in case of an emergency? So that half-decade-old phone tucked away in storage will still call for an ambulance or police assistance, provided the battery is chargeable. Secure the Call is an organization that accepts used cell phones and then repurposes them as e…
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Donating Three (3) Or More items?

  • Congratulations! You qualify for free shipping! Follow these instructions: 1. Fill out the "Print Label" Complete Print Label 2. Once complete, choose “Submit” 3. Be sure to print the battery label FIRSTas instructed! Adhere it to the outside of the box. 4. Next print TWO separate shipping labels (include one INSIDE the package and use the other to adhere to the outside of the package) 5. D…
See more on ncadv.org

Donating Fewer Than Three (3) Phones?

  • Unfortunately, this does not qualify for free shipping. Please follow these instructions: 1. Print the Li-Ion Battery Shipping Label Print Li-Ion Battery Shipping Label 2. Adhere it to the outside of your package. 3. Ship your items to: Cellular Recycler, ATTN: NCADV 3131 N. 75th St. Boulder, CO 80301 PLEASE NOTE: You may be asked for a UN# before ...
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What Electronics Do You Accept For Recyling?

  1. Any cell phone in any condition and their accessories
  2. Laptops
  3. Mp3 Players
  4. Digital Cameras
See more on ncadv.org

Want to Hold A Collection?

  • Thank you for your support! Click hereto order free collection boxes and posters and ship your items using the information under “Donating three or more phones” above. Have questions about holding a collection? Email NCADV
See more on ncadv.org