Orange offer cash back for old mobile phones
Brits are hoarding £2.7 billion worth of old mobile phones at home with one in three (32%) unaware of how to recycle them, according to a poll commissioned on behalf of Orange.
Unaware that the money-back offer for handing in an old mobile phone to an Orange store can be up to £252, four in ten (40%) Brits have never recycled an old mobile phone while one in four (24%) have never even considered the cash-back opportunities of recycling.
Furthermore, one in ten (11%) Brits confess to hoarding old handsets for sentimental reasons despite them lying unused for years. 18-24 year olds are especially tied to their old mobile phones with almost a quarter (23%) sitting on their former handsets compared with one in ten (7%) of those aged 55 or older.
Overall, recycling figures have increased year on year in the UK. However, although people are recycling more, they’re focusing on household clutter – including food and drink packaging (32%), paperwork (72%) and books (51%) – none of which offer financial rewards.
For consumers that want to recycle and get some extra cash, they can walk into any Orange store and exchange their old phones for money through its Recycle & Reward scheme. By doing this, consumers benefit from an instant valuation before deciding whether to part with their device – and with the average pay out being £45 and the most popular handset, the iPhone 3GS 16G, fetching up to £148 – it’s a great way to enjoy a quick cash boost before the summer holiday season hits and it’s also good for the environment too!
Dan Thomas, Head of the Recycle & Reward scheme at Orange, says: “I’m surprised that so many people have never recycled a mobile phone or even considered that they could get cash back for them. Recycling old handsets is good for the environment & good for consumers’ pockets - and we’ll reward any customer from any network that wants to recycle their mobile with cash.”
For more information on how to recycle devices go to orangerecycle.co.uk or visit any Orange retail store.