150 Million Cell Phones ‘Retired’ Every Year?

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Last updated April 12, 2019

Now, I will start by saying that I did not double-check the figures of what I am about to talk about; but the statistics, which come from a site called Waste Management World, look close to other things I have read.  So I feel safe in presenting them here.  If they are wrong, it will not be by much.

According to what I  have read, over 80% of all USA cell phone purchases are to replace an existing phone, creating 150 million old handsets that, unless recycled, donated or sold, will never be used again.  In the USA alone, it is estimated that there are one billion unused old cell phones sitting in people’s drawers.  That is estimated values of $12.2 billion, based on an average re-sell value of $18 per handset.  Once refurbished, that average goes up to $50.

Meanwhile, the market for refurbished cell phones continues to expand.  As developing countries continue to go to wireless, the need for cheaper, but not necessarily lesser quality, handsets is growing.  Especially in those countries whose traditional wired internet structure is poor quality and expensive to access.  So, people not only use their cell phones to call each other, but they use them as a computer alternative.

By recycling your cell phone, you are not only lessening the number of wasted handsets, you are helping support growth in developing countries.  So, before you put that old cell away in a drawer only to be thrown away later, check out our site. Sell Cell – ‘we make it easy to sell your cell.’