We are more likely to simply sit on an old mobile phone rather than trade it in for cash or recycle the handset – amounting to an estimated 85 million mobiles being discarded in the UK.
This is according to a poll carried out by UK consumer group, Consumer Focus.
The findings revealed that 68% of the 853 people surveyed stated they have one or more old mobiles, despite no longer using the phones. And 11% said they have five or more old phones not in use.
Based on this research, the group estimates we have 85 million phones lying around, as a nation.
The consumer group has advised these handsets could be sold for cash or recycled, or given to charity or to friends. Old handsets sell for an average of £25. Whichever course is taken, the group also stated to be careful with stored data on mobiles and to remove any personal data first.
Hannah Bullivant, mobile phone expert at Consumer Focus said: “We discard millions of phones every year with one in 10 admitting they simply put their old handsets in the bin. These are sophisticated bits of kit that can still be used or recycled.”
She added: “By throwing phones away, we are wasting huge amounts of money and adding unnecessarily to our landfill mountains. Anyone with an old mobile should shop around for the best second-hand deal. There are now a number of second-hand price comparison sites that can be found with a simple internet search.”
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