Who would have thought 20 years ago there would be a need to recycle cell phones as ubiquitous as kiosk machines for car key duplication or getting movie DVDs to watch at home? Yet that’s the case today at the end of 2020 that an obsolete or old cell phone and similar devices can now be both recycled as well as converted into valuable cash versus just being a bookend or taking up space in a home drawer.
Where are ecoATMs?
What is ecoATM? The company that is pushing the recycling devices and converting them into valuable second-hand phones to be used again elsewhere is ecoATM. Originally getting into the tech recycle business back in 2015, ecoATM made it possible for anyone near one of their physical kiosk to simply bring an older cell phone to it, let the machine identify the model, and exchange it for cash. The machine was a leap forward as recycle programs prior to this point required phone owners to ship their phones to a clearing address, and then they would find out weeks later whether it was worth anything or shipped back. Today, these ecoATMs near me kiosks can be found anywhere ranging from shopping malls to gas stations to the local Walmart at the entrance/exit point. Anywhere where people traffic heavily, there’s a chance an ecoATM is going to be found now.
The most common phones that produce a payout will be old iPhones and Android phones. That said there are a few odd brands and items that could be viable as well. It really depends on whatever ecoATM as a company is looking for at the time in terms of giving value and cash payment. However, despite the success of the ecoATMs, the company still takes online trades as well. So even folks who aren’t physically near a kiosk can still send in their pre-owned gadgets and receive a payout for their worth.
A Multi-Benefit Solution
Recycling is a smart idea all the way around. First, it gets old, unused tech out of people’s homes and back into the hands of those who can still use the devices. Many of the phones end up being cleaned up and used again with networks overseas in other countries. In these areas, there are few people who have bank accounts or traditional finance tools, but the mobile phone has become incredibly powerful, giving people the ability to transact, exchange, sell and buy through their cell phone versus a credit card or ATM or similar. Second, it avoids old tech from ending up in the garbage and landfills, which ultimately ends up poisoning the environment. Old tech still has a lot of components made from chemicals and toxic materials that, when released, can poison the immediate soil for decades. Just think about everything that goes into a lithium phone battery, for example. And they can be instant fire hazards too.
Just in Time for the Future
With newer, advanced phones coming out every two years or sooner, the number of older and obsolete phones and mobile devices is just going to increase with time. The common joke in modern society now is that even five-year-olds have smartphones to play with. So, if that’s the case, how many phones will the typical person have or go through by the time he or she reaches 30? Quite a few. And those old phones no longer used need to go somewhere. So, with ecoATM there is a solution to multiple needs, including giving people cash which they can use right away for immediate needs having nothing to do with the old phone. It really is a win-win solution in a lot of ways, just in time for what is likely to be an ongoing proliferation of mobile tech in 2021.
