Recycling mobile phones is it safe?

[CooperS]

Right i've got around 7 phones which i haven't picked up in many years.

Ranging from an old skool Ericsson, first gen Sony Ericsson and a couple of the Nokia's up to N80 etc......

All of them don't respond to power and all wont switch on.

However you still can recycle them responsibly,,,,,

What got me thinking was im picking up my latest phone for the next 18 months in the form of Samsung Pixon. Car phone ware house have said i can get X off accessories if i hand in an old phone.

But my concern and finally my question is; Is it safe from a data management perspective?

I cant switch them on and so don't know what they hold. Nor can i delete whatever is on them

More of a concern is the later Nokias as i started to use email etc

Would i be safer to burn/crush them than hand them over for a few quid to a online recycling company. Its not the money i'm worried about as i'll get of 2p back but its the whole be kind to the environment that is driving me?

So am i being paranoid or have i got a right to be worried.

Btw there isn't anything illegal on them nor any funny photos (wink wink nudge nudge) that. All im worried about is just numbers and address that maybe stored on them.

Advice welcome

Edited by CooperS on Sunday 30th November 23:23

[Carpie]

In that situation I'd be tempted to crush and chuck em. Not worth the possible hassle of someone accessing your email.

[Edward9000]

Have some fun destroying them then toss em in the bin.

[Chris_w666]

Drive with the window open and throw them at the poor.

[ipwn]

Chris_w666 said:

Drive with the window open and throw them at the poor.

[CooperS]

Chris_w666 said:

Drive with the window open and throw them at the poor.

LOL.....

Edited by CooperS on Sunday 30th November 23:29

[Simpo Two]

I cut mine in half on a bandsaw and sold it on eBay as a flip phone.

IIRC another PHer paid 23p for it

[Nickyboy]

I've been recycling phones through work for the past year or so, they go towards some housing project in India. We've got all sorts of power attachments to power up most phones so if you want to recycle then i'd happily remove any data that may be stored on them before sending them away.

[CooperS]

Nickyboy said:

I've been recycling phones through work for the past year or so, they go towards some housing project in India. We've got all sorts of power attachments to power up most phones so if you want to recycle then i'd happily remove any data that may be stored on them before sending them away.

Thanks for the offer, i'll let you know what I do if i do decide to recycle.

[benoli]

Nickyboy said:

I've been recycling phones through work for the past year or so, they go towards some housing project in India.

what do they do . . . use them as bricks ?

[Nickyboy]

No idea how they're used but we send them to a place that dismantles them, apparently there is something that is worth money in them.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Nickyboy said:

No idea how they're used but we send them to a place that dismantles them, apparently there is something that is worth money in them.

phone numbers & emails

[CooperS]

So what do people of the day crowd think?

Make money
Crush the phones in any number of helaroius fun packed ways
Throw at the poor - which may come under the above depending on the throw

[Eddh]

Golf club, empty warehouse some 200 odd company phones left over from when they went bust. Oh the fun we had!