How Did (Will) You Get Rid Of Your Old Phone or Tablet?

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

SF VIP
Location
New Jersey
I'm reading that there are better ways than to just throw them in the garbage. Of course when doing that, one must do a factory reset. My first tablet (an 8.4") no longer functions. I can turn it on, but it won't update and I can't do much with it so it's not worth keeping. I have a 10.5 that still functions just fine.

I've read about the potential dangers of just throwing electronics in the garbage. This excerpt from the article linked below explains why:
"But electronics can also contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which must be disposed of carefully. So far, 25 states have passed laws requiring people to recycle old electronics. But no matter where you live, there are safe methods for disposal."
How to Recycle Old Electronics - Consumer Reports
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/recycling/how-to-recycle-electronics-a7432818850/
I do want to pay attention to the rules for safe disposal. Have you ever disposed of an electronic device? How?
 

I have a drawer full of old IPhones and various other makes before the Iphone...( Blackberry , Nokia etc)

I wish I could find a use for them or a home for them with someone who could use them..but alas.. aside from one, they're all too old for updates... so no-one could use them for their intended purpose..
 
No I haven't OED.
Smashing them up good and proper with a hammer (there are ways of doing it online) to get rid of personal data before you do anything. I think also a techie person (on here perhaps) would know of programmes to run to delete everything if they are recyclable.

Over here there are recycling centres that take old phones/computers, also council rubbish tips where they have separate areas for electricals. But I think that varies depending on where one lives and their councils.
 

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Does your condo have guidelines for this? My co-op will dispose. Son hammered hard drive first to smithereens.
 
I don't think there's an electronic device I once used that isn't somewhere in the house.

We have a special trash collection day once or twice a year that will take those kinds of refuse. Then, all year there is a collection center that will accept your drop offs.
 
Pinky said:
We take old electronic devices to the Recycle Depot for our region .. old hard-drives, kettles, etc.
Click to expand...
yes we can do that too Pinks... but the phones are something I don't just want to throw in the trash. They may be older models but they're all in pretty much mint condition.. and of course there's thourands of pounds worth there..
 
hollydolly said:
I have a drawer full of old IPhones and various other makes before the Iphone...( Blackberry , Nokia etc)

I wish I could find a use for them or a home for them with someone who could use them..but alas.. aside from one, they're all too old for updates... so no-one could use them for their intended purpose..
Click to expand...
I have an iPhone and a Samsung phone that I got about 5 years ago. I no longer use the iPhone but I can still use the older Samsung phone if I had to.
@Pepper No our co-op just has recyclable and garbage bins. Because of the toxic materials mentioned in the OP, I wouldn't want to throw it in the garbage nor recyclable bin and certainly wouldn't want to smash it first. Our recycle center has guidelines about what they will accept but I didn't see electronic devices under any of the categories listed.

According to an article I found, Best Buy accepts electronic devices for recycling. I'll check with them to see if that program is still in place.
@Quackers @Pinky
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I have an iPhone and a Samsung phone that I got about 5 years ago. I no longer use the iPhone but I can still use the older Samsung phone if I had to.
Click to expand...
The problem with my early Iphones.right up to Iphone 8 there are now no longer any updates for them.... I do have an Iphone SE ( 10 ).. and I was going to donate it to a friends' son... but I'll be darned if I can find it. I've got the box in mint condition, with the earbuds and charger still unused, but can I find where I put the phone ..nope... ( this was the phone I had before I upgraded to the Iphone 12 which I have now
 
These are a few of my old mobile phones

my-old-mobile-phones-HD.jpg
 
Nathan said:
@OneEyedDiva , somewhere within the county or municipality where you live there should be some kind of e-waste facility. Around here every so often I'll see a notice of an "e-waste day" at a school or church in town, where electronics can be dropped off.
Click to expand...
Thank you Nathan. I'll look into that if Best Buy no longer recycles electronics.
 
hollydolly said:
The problem with my early Iphones.right up to Iphone 8 there are now no longer any updates for them.... I do have an Iphone SE ( 10 ).. and I was going to donate it to a friends' son... but I'll be darned if I can find it. I've got the box in mint condition, with the earbuds and charger still unused, but can I find where I put the phone ..nope... ( this was the phone I had before I upgraded to the Iphone 12 which I have now
Click to expand...
Don't ya hate it when you can find everything but the thing you really want to find. It'll turn up HD, hopefully before its usefulness as a donation runs out. I'd had it with iPhones after my experience with my first one...iPhone 4. At that time Android phones had replaceable batteries and iPhone didn't. I switched to Android, loved it and never went back. Android phones are generally a lot cheaper too and that certainly didn't hurt my decision to switch permanently.
 
Gary O' said:

How Did (Will) You Get Rid Of Your Old Phone or Tablet?​


I've got 'em all in a big box in the storage shed
Hoping they'll all go away
Click to expand...
Like you, I have several old phones, etc. in a box in the closet. Every time I open the closet door I hope to see them magically gone, but...nope, still there. (Sigh) I don't know what to do with them either, now that my husband no longer is a tractor-trailer driver. :ROFLMAO:
 
I am still going to take the batteries out, break them up, and put them in the trash.
That just leaves the big and very heavy car batteries, which just mount up forever. The incapable moving the impossible.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I'm reading that there are better ways than to just throw them in the garbage. Of course when doing that, one must do a factory reset. My first tablet (an 8.4") no longer functions. I can turn it on, but it won't update and I can't do much with it so it's not worth keeping. I have a 10.5 that still functions just fine.

I've read about the potential dangers of just throwing electronics in the garbage. This excerpt from the article linked below explains why:
"But electronics can also contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which must be disposed of carefully. So far, 25 states have passed laws requiring people to recycle old electronics. But no matter where you live, there are safe methods for disposal."
How to Recycle Old Electronics - Consumer Reports
How to Recycle Old Electronics - Consumer Reports
I do want to pay attention to the rules for safe disposal. Have you ever disposed of an electronic device? How?
Click to expand...
If you can't do a reset than for protection sake, I'd recommend you give it to a recycling centre.

Otherwise, I give them to stores who can reset them and sell them on for others to enjoy. Such as Cash Generators or CEX. These two if you're in UK.

In USA many Pawn Shops could take them and fix them, then resell them.

In the bin, not a great idea, if garbage put in incinerators, that tablet or phone will blow up. Youch! Damages? Yup...

Just my two pence worth lol!
 
Supernatural said:
If you can't do a reset than for protection sake, I'd recommend you give it to a recycling centre.

Otherwise, I give them to stores who can reset them and sell them on for others to enjoy. Such as Cash Generators or CEX. These two if you're in UK.

In USA many Pawn Shops could take them and fix them, then resell them.

In the bin, not a great idea, if garbage put in incinerators, that tablet or phone will blow up. Youch! Damages? Yup...

Just my two pence worth lol!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the good advice. I'm hoping I can find a recycling place that will take it, if not Best Buy. Regardless, I intend to do a factory reset to wipe off all my personal date..which truthfully is mostly games and some of my contacts.
 
Pappy said:
If you go to Gazelle.com, you might get a few bucks for them, depending on condition. I have sold all my old equipment to them over the years. Might get $25 to $100 bucks for certain items. Doesn’t cost a penny to check them out.
Click to expand...
Thank you Pappy! I sure will. 🤑
 
I always just ”re-homed” my older tablets. Even if they can no longer update, they are still great for people with young children because you can have basic kids apps on the tablet and the kids can use them to learn with.
 
I have several old phones and one old tablet, the phones
go way back to the 1990s.

As for computers I keep the Hard Drives and scrap the rest,
I have a "Caddy", that I plug in to the current PC to read the
discs, when I am looking for something.

Mike.
 

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