To celebrate Recycle Week, running from June 21-27, people all around the UK have been dared to sort through their unused belongings, in hopes of uncovering a treasure trove of hoarded goods they often forget can be reused and recycled.

Old electronics like mobile phones, laptops and MP3 players make up a large percentage of this ignored pile that fills desk drawers and cupboards across the country, and the national campaign hopes to put an end to this environmentally dangerous clutter.

To encourage greener thinking in conjunction with Recycle Week, U.K. businesses and schools are participating in recycling drives, creating incentives for employees and students to recycle their old phones in return for various reward vouchers.

However, mobile phone recycling isn’t just a one-week opportunity. Electronics can be recycled all year long at in-person recycling centres and through a number of websites that will pay cash for old mobiles and computers. Since electrical parts can often be refurbished and used again, many companies who buy and recycle phones will get the mobiles in working order and then donate them to charities or ship them to third world countries where phones are scarce.

Also, using recycled materials to produce new goods requires less energy than extracting, refining and transporting raw materials, like silver, to make new mobile phones and other handheld electronics.

With Recycle Week upon us, now’s the time to clean out that messy den, reduce our carbon footprint and set a green example for future generations.  And you can even get cash back for your effort, via using sites such as Compare and Recycle to find out how much you can get for your old mobile phone.
 
Find out how Compare and Recycle can help you recycle your mobiles and other electronic items.