It's that time again. The first-generation technology is being replaced, and even some of the ecogeekiest folks in the world simply can't stand to have an outdated cell phone. So, if you simply can't stand the slow speeds and lower-cost service plan of your old first generation iPhone...what's the best way to dispose of it?
It turns out that there are a lot of answers to that question. Since we at EcoGeek are maniacally concerned about these things, we've decided to put together a list (in order of greenness) of what you can do with your old iPhone (and, by extension, most electronic devices.)
- Greenest: If it Ain't Broke...Don't Fix It
The new iPhone doesn't have any ecological advantages over the old one (it's not like it's solar powered...yet), so there's really no reason (from my perspective) to upgrade. Buying a new phone is simply creating a larger market for the resource intensive creation of electronics. So, in general, your greenest option is to keep using your current phone. Of course, if it is broken, you can use services like buymytronics.com, which will give you up to $90 for a busted iPhone (a price that would likely be higher if Apple didn't make the things so darned difficult to fix.)
Brett Mosely, CEO of Buymytronics says that Apple devices tend to hold onto value very well, "I don't think that the iPhone G1 market is going to drop out. It's still a solid phone... better than the competition. I think they'll drop a little, but will hold well for a while. They're still awesome phones." - Greener: Give, Sell or Trade Locally
If you can avoid shipping your phone across the country to a new buyer, you absolutely should. Craigslist lets you sell or swap your phone locally. And you can get a good deal without the hassle of shipping. 16 GB iPhones in great condition are going for around $375 on Craigslist right now. - Green: Sell Globally
If staying local and selling yourself is too much trouble for you, simpler options abound. The aforementioned buymytronics.com will give you $250 for an iPhone in good condition with minimal hassle. Other's providing the same service include Second Rotation ($235 for a used 16 gb iPhone) and CellPhoneTradeins.com ($210 for a used 16 GB iPhone.) - Not Green: Recycle It
There are electronics recycling options available nowadays, and I heartily suggest you explore them for devices that are no longer in demand. But even if your iPhone was run over by a truck and then lit on fire, BuyMyTronics.com will still find a use for it, and pay you $10 to send it to them. Their CEO, Brett Mosely, says they once scavenged parts from an iPod Nano that had been run over by a tank in Iraq. And whatever they can't use is recycled by a basel-certified, local recycling facility.
Recycling is for devices that have outlived their useful lives. And, frankly, there isn't an iPhone in the world that has yet outlived it's useful life. So don't even think about recycling one of these puppies...it's a waste of money and resources.
And for those precious few ecogeeks who want to actually downgrade to a more environmentally friendly, low power option. You can actually sell your in-demand iPhone, and buy a green phone for far cheaper.
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Comments (23)
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written by Ben, July 07, 2008
I find myself ashamed for being so nitpicky as to ask, but did you actually run any numbers on trading locally v shipping, or did you just apply the 'local=better' heuristic? Seems unclear to me that someone driving their 3000 pound car 10 miles over to your house (a typical craigslist transaction) to get your phone is actually better than walking to the post office and sending a
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written by Hank, July 07, 2008
In general, I'd have to say that local is better. It'll certainly get you more money. In general, the phone will have to be shipped twice if you go with option three. It'll be shipped to a refurbishing center, and then shipped again to a buyer. But I can't think of a way to get raw data on this.
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written by PlanetPinknGreen, July 07, 2008
Thank-you for talking about this very important subject. My cel-phone recently died (it came apart and couldn't be fixed.) I wondered how to dispose of it properly and found a local place that takes cel-phones, repairs them and gives them to local shelters. I write Planet Pink n' Green - http://www.planetpinkngreen.com where we educate, inspire and celebrate all things eco-beautiful. We are eco-geek lovers but also tend to focus on the pink or female side of the green movement. This info is incredibly helpful and I will make sure to share it with my audience. Keep up your great work! Chery Janis - Planet Pink n' Green - http://www.planetpinkngreen.com , Twitter: PPnG
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written by Vertography (John), July 08, 2008
The 'local => better' assertion is indeed an interesting one. On the plus side for local, I would hazard that 'walking' to the post office with that package is the unlikely option, and driving there is more likely. So, basically the same as somebody local picking it up and the package being shipped has only just started its journey.
On the other side of the coin though, the shipping companies are moving lots of stuff around so the incremental impact of your cell phone being shipped across the country in a truck that was making the journey already is much lower than the cost of that special 10 mile trip for somebody local to pick it up.
At the end of the day, I think that any option that sees the phone being reused is better than seeing it be recycled or destroyed. The fact that the iPhone is locked irks me though since it makes the phone less attractive as a reusable device, and the sealed in battery doesn't help either. The battery is likely to need replacing long before the rest of the phone, but Apple has made that unnecessarily hard, which will just encourage people to upgrade instead of just having the battery changed.
On the other side of the coin though, the shipping companies are moving lots of stuff around so the incremental impact of your cell phone being shipped across the country in a truck that was making the journey already is much lower than the cost of that special 10 mile trip for somebody local to pick it up.
At the end of the day, I think that any option that sees the phone being reused is better than seeing it be recycled or destroyed. The fact that the iPhone is locked irks me though since it makes the phone less attractive as a reusable device, and the sealed in battery doesn't help either. The battery is likely to need replacing long before the rest of the phone, but Apple has made that unnecessarily hard, which will just encourage people to upgrade instead of just having the battery changed.
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written by IamIan, July 08, 2008
Throwing the phone in the garbage is not green.
Recycling may not be as green as reusing , but is still allot greener than trashing it.
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local vs ship.... if you want to crunch the numbers it can be done... the actual work to do it is just much higher than the usually correct assumption that local is better... you get a tracking tracking number for the product , you track its steps... where it flies you calculate how much additional fuel and such are used for the small 2 pound package same for when on a truck same thing... shipping has the benefit of that truck and that plane were going to fly that route with or without your package... so you should only be including the additional fuel needed to move your packages additional weight.
another option is to find the shippers yearly energy use and number of packages shipped giving all packages equal energy use is not accurate as it hits small packages much harder... but that is another way to get some numbers on it.
Why make a special trip??? if UPS or FedEx pick up from where you work just do it there... if not do a drive by of a box while you are on your way to the store or work already.
Recycling may not be as green as reusing , but is still allot greener than trashing it.
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local vs ship.... if you want to crunch the numbers it can be done... the actual work to do it is just much higher than the usually correct assumption that local is better... you get a tracking tracking number for the product , you track its steps... where it flies you calculate how much additional fuel and such are used for the small 2 pound package same for when on a truck same thing... shipping has the benefit of that truck and that plane were going to fly that route with or without your package... so you should only be including the additional fuel needed to move your packages additional weight.
another option is to find the shippers yearly energy use and number of packages shipped giving all packages equal energy use is not accurate as it hits small packages much harder... but that is another way to get some numbers on it.
Why make a special trip??? if UPS or FedEx pick up from where you work just do it there... if not do a drive by of a box while you are on your way to the store or work already.
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written by Erlend, July 10, 2008
How about you people stop obsessing about the little things that doesn't matter. Surely selling the phone either to your neighbor or to someone in Pakistan is better than throwing it away. The whole locally vs. globally thing has gone to far, we're talking about a sub 200 gram device for crying out loud.
Buying a NEW phone to get one that uses LESS ELECTRICITY?? Since when did that become a good idea? What about investing your time and money in something that actually impacts your energy consumption, like your air condition or a new car? Being environmentally conscious is great, but stop wasting your energy on these miniscule projects. "Carbon neutral" is a pipe dream -you'd basically have to throw yourself off a cliff to achieve that..
Buying a NEW phone to get one that uses LESS ELECTRICITY?? Since when did that become a good idea? What about investing your time and money in something that actually impacts your energy consumption, like your air condition or a new car? Being environmentally conscious is great, but stop wasting your energy on these miniscule projects. "Carbon neutral" is a pipe dream -you'd basically have to throw yourself off a cliff to achieve that..
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written by James Dean, July 10, 2008
Yawn, I never buy the first version for that very reason!
http://www.anondo.alturl.com
http://www.anondo.alturl.com
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written by John, July 10, 2008
Like Bullying UK, they can use it to test new apps for the people they help.
Bullying UK
7.02 Windsor House
Cornwall Road
Harrogate
HG1 2PW
Bullying UK
7.02 Windsor House
Cornwall Road
Harrogate
HG1 2PW
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written by Alejandro Bonilla, July 10, 2008
If you don't know what to do with it, I'll buy them for $100.
Send me an email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Send me an email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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written by Chris, July 10, 2008
Shouldn't "Download the iPhone 2.0 software update from Apple for free" be an option here? That would be the greenest and cheapest thing to do.
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written by Rory Sinclair, July 10, 2008
Or: Install the 2.0 software on it on Friday, make use of the vast majority of the new features, and keep the damn thing?
Hrmmph.
Hrmmph.
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written by Bigpappapunk, July 10, 2008
Am I missing something or did the writer of this article not do his homework? The 16GB iPhone won't release until tomorrow so where are you coming up with all of these figures?
Oh and to the first comment, you're an idiot. Magical fairies don't come down and pick up mail at the post office, it takes trucks/trains/planes all over 3k lbs to move your shipment.
Oh and to the first comment, you're an idiot. Magical fairies don't come down and pick up mail at the post office, it takes trucks/trains/planes all over 3k lbs to move your shipment.
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written by jackass, July 10, 2008
hahaha, you are the fucking moron. They released a 16GB of the original iPhone. I'm looking at one right now. And as for the comment of the magical fairies....read any of the comments by the people who are not ignorant enough to make a statement as such. The trucks/trains/planes you speak of are already driving and flying regardless of your moron ass sending a package. You are a wannabe indie fucktard. the end.
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written by DC Website Designer, July 10, 2008
You can always find someone less fortunate who will appreciate such a gift.
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written by hillary hartley, July 10, 2008
Alex Hillman and Chris Messina launched exPhone this time last year to raise awareness to all their friends preparing to go out and buy the new iPhone.
Seems appropriate to check it out again this year!
http://exphone.org/
Seems appropriate to check it out again this year!
http://exphone.org/
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written by Rlx, July 11, 2008
You are so goddamned spoiled and wasteful!. please STOP fucking up the world!
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written by Boyishprince, July 11, 2008
Interesting read, I didn't know you could do so much with your first generation iPhone!
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written by DONATE iPhone, July 29, 2008
You got a new shiny iPhone...That's Great !
But what about your old iPhone? Don't recycle your mobile...
and Don't worry, just DONATE at http://www.rubarudirect.com/iphone
There are millions of people waiting for this...
just do it... let them happy forever...
But what about your old iPhone? Don't recycle your mobile...
and Don't worry, just DONATE at http://www.rubarudirect.com/iphone
There are millions of people waiting for this...
just do it... let them happy forever...
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written by Missy, October 22, 2008
Why not help yourself and the environment at the same time. Sell your old iPhone.
This is assuming you no longer use it, it is slightly damaged, or you don't plan on donating it.
Sell it.
This is assuming you no longer use it, it is slightly damaged, or you don't plan on donating it.
Sell it.
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written by Andy, January 08, 2009
i will buy your iphone 2g any condition is ok. email is
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
'>
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. take care
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written by maverick, January 12, 2010
You wrote very interesting post i love your blog it contains very informative article i will share it with my friends.
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