James Cridland/Flickr

It’s something of a surprise to come across anyone who doesn’t have a mobile these days. They have become a must-have for almost everyone. In fact, more than a billion people around the world now have a mobile phone.

By now, most of us have been through several different models, and once the old ones are discarded, they usually get left lying around somewhere in a drawer or under the bed or, worse, add to our already serious landfill problem.

According to Envirofone there are over 80 million old mobiles lying around in the UK. So, instead of chucking your old mobile phones in the bin, why not do your bit for the environment, get them recycled and make some money at the same time?

This idea has grown in popularity recently, and now there are loads of companies out there who will pay you for your old mobiles.

How does it work?

Rather than letting the phones end up in landfill, they can be re-used in areas of the world with growing economies – those which have the demand for the type of mobile technology some of us would class as obsolete.

Even very old mobiles can be used for parts by other businesses. And if they can’t be re-used, they are recycled in an environmentally-friendly way and can be made into things such as printer cartridges.

How do I get the best deal for my phone?

Of course, with so many companies out there offering cash for your phone, you need to make sure the one you choose is legitimate and will give you the best service.

Luckily, we’ve created a tool that automatically compares the prices offered by all the main phone recycling sites – so you get the best deal, with the least hassle!

Or, do it yourself

Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Find the best site

Go to our mobile phone comparison tool and select your phone model from the menu.

(If you don’t know what your phone model is, it should say on the handset and in your phone manual. If you’re really stuck, go into one of your phone network’s shops on the high street and ask one of the assistants – they’ll be able to tell you).

Once you’ve selected your phone model, it will come up with a picture of the handset – so you can tell whether it’s the right one or not.

Once you’ve found your phone, it will tell you which site will offer you the best price.

Step 2: Fill in your details

Once you’ve selected the phone model and the site that gives you the best deal, you’ll be asked to enter the IMEI number of your phone. Don’t worry if this sounds complicated – they all explain exactly where to find it, and it’s very straightforward.

You then have to ‘grade’ your phone; as working or not working.

Step 3: Choose cash or vouchers

Once you’ve filled in all these details and accepted their terms and conditions, you may be given a choice of payment depending on the company you choose to recycle your phone with:

• Cash or Marks & Spencer vouchers with Mopay
• Cash or Argos vouchers with Envirofone
• Just cash with Mazuma and Banana Green

Mopay will also offer to put a percentage of the cash they offer you for your mobile into a charity, so you can be doing a doubly good deed!

Step 4: Arrange postage

You’ll then be asked for some personal details. Once you’ve filled those in, you’ll be given an order number, and receive a confirmation email with instructions of what to do next.

The one drawback here is that although postage is free, with Mopay you do have to provide your own jiffy bag. Both Mazuma, Banana Green and Envirofone provide you with one, though it does slow down the process as you have to wait to receive it.

Step 5: Send it off

All you have to do now is send off the phone and the order confirmation form which they send with the email. For Mopay you use the ‘Freepost, Mopay’ address and put your order number on the back of the envelope.

They do warn you that your post office will say that this isn’t a valid address – but be persistent and assure them, we did!

Be advised that none of the companies will accept phones without their security code, and will pay you according to the condition of the phone and the battery.

If phones are locked or can be proven stolen, they will be recycled without payment. So they will check that the details you’ve given them are correct before sending the money.

Step 6: Sit back and wait for your cheque!

We received ours within a week from both Mopay, Banana Green and Mazuma, and the amount was exactly as promised so we’re definitely satisfied! We received our cheque from Envirofone within about two weeks, so a little slower, but it was the amount we were promised.

A quick comparison

Just to give you an idea of how much your phone might be worth – and of the variation in prices offered by different websites – here are some comparisons:

HTC Hero 100

Envirofone – £72.03

Mopay – £98.00

Mazuma – £84.00

Banana Green – £70.00

Sony Ericsson W810i

Envirofone – £8.11

Mopay – £12.01

Mazuma – £8.50

Banana Green – £3.00

The easiest (and quickest!) way to find the best price for your phone is to use our comparison tool, just click here.

Useful links

• Recycle your Mobile Comparison Tool (compares all the sites automatically)
• Mopay
• Envirofone
• Mazuma
• Banana Green

Do you have any comments or suggestions about recycling your mobile? Share them with everyone in the comments below, or get onto our money making forum and start chatting!