Recycling old cell phones

[Alan Mendelson]

We have a report on our new "Eco ATM" page about the ecoATM which is already in a couple of locations here in Southern California. These devices accept cell phones and pay cash for them -- how much depends on the model and if they work. Do you recycle your old phones or are they just sitting in the bottom of a drawer somewhere. I've collected four old cell phones because every year or so a company offers me a new, free phone with service or a free upgrade. Link to the Eco ATM page: http://alanbestbuys.com/id217.html

[Alan Mendelson]

In May, we did a report on the EcoATM for recycling cell phones and other small electronics. Well, this evening I tried one out at a major mall near LAX in Culver City.

I was surprised to see that there was an attendant at what is supposed to be a self-serve machine. I struck up a conversation and the attendant told me that the machine is manned about 11 hours a day -- shopping hours at the mall. I've seen attendants at other EcoATMs at other malls and thought that it was part of the promotion and education process for this new concept. But, I found out that this particular machine was broken, and the "automatic mode" wasn't working and the attendant had to use manual controls for the process.

My real disappointment came when I found out that the three old cell phones I brought in had zero value. I was asked if I wanted to "donate" them anyway and I said yes, because I would rather see them recycled than go into a landfill.

For each of the three phones the attendant indicated on the touch screen that the phones did not operate. Well, that's not true. They all worked fine and were replaced by newer phones. However, they were not charged. The attendant said if she could not turn the phones "on" she could not tell if they were working or not. A bummer.

Weren't you supposed to be able to plug in the phones on these machines to determine if they were working? Well, it turns out that the device and application on the machine was broken.

I only expected a couple of dollars at the most for each phone, and rather than take them home, I left them there. But I wonder if other consumers would be as generous and would tell their friends not to bother.

After all, I could have dropped them off at Goodwill or the Salvation Army and let them recycle them and picked up a tax deductible donation for the five or six bucks I didn't get from the EcoATM company.

So here's a tip: consumers can be impressed even for a buck or fifty cents. Next time someone drops off a phone at the EcoATM in the mall, at least give them a discount coupon for a soft drink in the food court.

[Alan Mendelson]

Went back to the same mall in Culver City last night and stopped by the EcoATM machine. They still had an attendant there because this machine required manual operation. The attendant told me that the machines in San Diego and elsewhere in LA County were all automated.

New on the machine: they now accept iPods. But would you be better off selling a working iPod on eBay or donating to good will? If it's smashed or broken, I can see donating it here to have the electronics recycled.

[Rob.Singer]

I'm not very eco-friendly and I just throw the old phones out rather than spend my time driving around town to find a place that recycles things or gives me 10c on the dollar for them. My generation figured out our challenges with our ingenuity, and I have every confidence my childrens' generation will more than succeed when going up against theirs.

[KailynLaw]

I take my old cell phones to a local hardware store where they give them to abuse victims. The phones do not need service to dial 911 in an emergency. They just have to be charged.

[mosheek]

Awesome but how to do that to recycling those cellphones such a great idea, my question is does appliance recycling in ks has an idea about it?

[Alan Mendelson]

Awesome but how to do that to recycling those cellphones such a great idea, my question is does appliance recycling in ks has an idea about it?

Thanks for joining mosheek. Please tell us more about your company: www.wyattsappliancerecycling.com

Can you tell us what you pay and how the appliances are recycled? What are the useful parts?