For those who are new to the notion of cellphone recycling, below is a brief overview that can help you make up your mind as to recycling your phone or not.

Cellphone recycling basically entails the collection of old and obsolete mobile phones and using them for various purposes. Recycling your old mobile phones can help keep the levels of harmful chemicals and toxins emitted by discarded phones in landfills down to a more manageable level. Aside from being an earth-friendly alternative, recycling old phones can also help you support a particular charity or NGO.

Many concerned organizations encourage the general public to donate their old phones which are then reconstructed for the use of marginalized sectors, such as victims of domestic violence or senior citizens who need a reliable means of communication. Some NGO’s even donate all of their earnings from cellphone recycling to environmental rights groups, thereby aiding in environmental protection.

For those who want to earn a little extra, you can also recycle old phones for cash. Many cellphone retail stores and manufacturers offer to buy old, functioning mobiles for a bit of cash and then revamp these into cheaper phone models that can be sold to less-developed countries.