Can you recycle mobile phones?

Phones contain lithium batteries (fire risk in bins) plus recoverable gold, cobalt and rare earths, so they must never go in general waste or kerbside recycling. Working phones have real value: trade-in schemes, refurbishers (Music Magpie, envirofone), or charity donation. Dead phones go to small-WEEE points at recycling centres, larger retailers, or post-back schemes. Wipe your data and remove the SIM first.

Tips

• Factory-reset and remove SIM/SD cards first
• Even broken phones fetch money at trade-in sites
• Old phones make good spare sat-navs and alarm clocks

Which bin does it go in?

Trade-in, charity or retailer take-back — never any household bin

Background: Batteries, vapes & electricals: the fire-risk items.

Also searched as: smartphones, iphones, old phones.