Donate Your Cell Phone

Do a quick online search for places to donate your old cell phone, and soon your head will be spinning with choices. Here are a few options:

Cell Phones for Soldiers recycles used phones, then purchases phone cards for soldiers to use when calling home.

CollectiveGood enables you to donate phones to a wide variety of charities and other organizations.

Recycling for Charities allows you to sign up your favorite charity, then designate it to receive donations from your used wireless products. RFC also accepts digital cameras. (Be sure to erase your photos, for the privacy of everyone in them.)

Americans discard 100 million cell phones a year. Photo credit: Julia Wasson.

Shelter Alliance provides opportunities for students to earn community service hours by collecting cell phones, then pays the collecting organization a share of the recycling profits.

Wireless Recycling lets you enter your zip code on their website to find a drop box near you. The company also offers a free cell phone data eraser on their website.

911 Cell Phone Bank donates phones to senior citizens, victims of abuse, and other people who may be at risk for various reasons.

As you’ll soon see, there are a huge variety of organizations, providing you with a wide range of choices. Check them out before you send in your phone. If you choose to give your phone to a 501(c)3 organization, your donation may be tax deductible — a win-win for you and the charity of your choice.

Part 1: What to Do with Your Old Cell Phone

Part 2: Donate Your Cell Phone

Julia Wasson

Blue Planet Green Living (Home Page)