Old cell phones, an mp3 flash player or better yet a CD player or even a cassette player – we all have some of these items gathering dust somewhere on the bottom of a drawer or on a shelf, hidden away. The mighty “let's keep it just in case” makes you store the things you are not using.

Has the next thought ever crossed your mind - “I can sell my mobile and some of the old gadgets and buy something better”? In most cases, old gadgets are not merely dust-accumulating knick-knacks, but real functional things that can bring you some cash. Chances are that you think you can't afford an iPhone you want so much, but if you finally gather all the unused electronics you have on your hands, you'll be able to buy the iPad3 the day it is launched.

The most difficult part in letting go of your old gadgets is nowhere near their functional or sentimental value. Come on – it is time to realize that even if your CD-ROM breaks down, you're most likely to look up the song you are dying to hear on You Tube instead of taking out the old CD player and to play an old and scratched CD. (more...)

So what do you think happen to your old cell phone after you purchase a newer and better model? Is it recycled? Is it used for spare parts? Is it given to the less fortunate? Or is it just thrown away and en up in landfills? What do you think?

In most cases, old cell phones are thrown away and end up clogging landfills resulting in air and water pollution. The fact is that cell phones are one of the largest contributors to the waste problem of the world. The simple reason is because the average person changes a cell phone approximately every two years. So more and more, phones are being thrown away.

These phones contain hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, and arsenic. It is time for consumers to start practicing phone recycling . There are simple ways in which phones can be recycled. One of the simplest ways to recycle phones is to make sure that they find their way back to major electronics retailers who can in turn make sure that they find their way back to their manufacturer who will either refurbish and resell them or use their parts to manufacturer new products. (more...)