From Experimac
Have you ever wondered what happens when your smartphone dies? Have you ever tossed one in the trash? This Earth Day, we explore where your iPhone® device goes to die.
On average, around 1.5 billion phones are sold worldwide every year. This means that a similar number of phones are being retired in a given year. Where do all these phones go?? A few possible scenarios include:
- Some users trade their unwanted iPhone devices into companies that offer trade-in.
- Many choose to pass their old phone down to a child or other family member.
- Others throw their phones away in the trash with their food scraps and other household garbage.
What happens at the landfill?
When someone throws away a phone, the discarded phone ends up in a landfill where it will likely seep toxic waste into the soil. A recent study shows that 70% of all toxic waste currently in landfills comes from our discarded electronic devices.
Looking for an alternative?
So, what happens if you decide to trade-in your unwanted iPhone devices? If it is still considered to be a sellable unit, it will be formatted and sold as a “used” device. If it is considered to be a device that is past its selling prime in the US, some companies will then ship the units to other countries all over the world that have limited access to the newest iPhone devices. If the traded-in devices are unsalvageable, other companies opt to send them to recycling plants where the metal components are melted down and repurposed. The non-recyclable components are tossed into all-purpose shredders.
When looking to upgrade your iPhone device, it is important to take into consideration what to do with your previous phone. Throwing it away not only has negative effects on the environment, but costs you money. By trading in your unwanted iPhone device, you will not only be doing your part for the environment, but you will also receive some money for it.
Stop by or call your local Experimac store to find out what your unwanted iPhone device may be worth. You may also want to browse Experimac’s certified pre-owned inventory of iPhone devices to see if we have something that suits your budget.
Business hours are Monday – Sunday 10 AM – 8 PM. Experimac is located at 1865-106 Carl D. Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.
