| What to do With Your Crummy Old iPhone |
| Written by Hank Green | ||
| Sunday, 29 June 2008 | ||
|
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.)
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.
Comments
(20)
Option 2 - so green?
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
local=better
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.
Great Pink Tip
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
local => better
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.
recycle not green?
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. ---------------- 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.
environmentally conscious=good, environm
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..
Coolness
written by James Dean , July 10, 2008
Yawn, I never buy the first version for that very reason!
http://www.anondo.alturl.com
Donate it to Charity
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
Buer
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 email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
...
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.
duh...
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.
16GB iPhone?
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.
bigpappapunk
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.
support our troops
written by dfguy , July 10, 2008
Easy
written by DC Website Designer , July 10, 2008
You can always find someone less fortunate who will appreciate such a gift.
exPhone
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/
Seriously?
written by Graham , July 10, 2008
Quit buying new crap all the time.
Damn Gringos
written by Rlx , July 10, 2008
You are so goddamned spoiled and wasteful!. please STOP fucking up the world!
...
written by Boyishprince , July 11, 2008
Interesting read, I didn't know you could do so much with your first generation iPhone!
Donate iPhone for Eco Friendly Environme
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... | ||
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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?
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