Chances are you have at least one old phone lying in a desk drawer somewhere. Maybe it’s just old, maybe it’s somewhat damaged, or maybe it doesn’t turn on at all. No matter its condition, there are people and animals who can benefit from your old electronics.
It’s important to keep electronic devices out of landfills for environmental reasons. E-waste can pollute soil and water, causing harm to human health and wildlife.
Donating old phones to charity is a great way to help the environment.
World Computer Exchange
The World Computer Exchange refurbishes old computers and distributes them to over 50 countries. The computers are given to schools and used to teach technical career skills. They accept laptops, phones and tablets, preferably less than 5-7 years old, depending on the device. Devices can be donated by mail or by drop-off. For information on what devices they accept, see their official website.
Eco-Cell
According to Eco-Cell, there are 762 million unused phones in the United States alone. If some of those phones belong to you, you can donate them to help their mission of protecting gorillas. Gorillas have their habitat destroyed due to mining for coltan, which is used to create new smartphones. Eco-Cell recycles old phones and raises funds to protect gorillas and their habitat.
Devices accepted by Eco-Cell:
- Cell phones
- Laptops and tablets
- Mp3 players and iPods
- Smartwatches
- Earbuds
- VR headsets
- Digital cameras
Unlike some of the other organizations on this list, Eco-Cell does not data wipe donated devices, however, their website has instructions for how to do this yourself.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
The National Domestic Violence Hotline accepts phones for recycling, including broken phones, as well as other electronics. Money raised by recycling the devices is used to fund their abuse prevention and awareness work.
Devices accepted by the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
- Smartphones, even if broken
- Tablets
- Smartwatches
- Laptops
- Video Game consoles
- Digital cameras
- Mp3 players
They will also take chargers, cords and phone cases to recycle for you.
Medic
Medic is an organization building open-source software designed for healthcare workers. Phones and other donated devices are resold or recycled. The funds are then used to support their mission in Asian and African countries.
Devices accepted by Medic:
- Cell phones
- Music players (iPods and MP3 players)
- Tablets
- Digital cameras
- Chargers and other accessories
Data from phones is securely wiped. For more information, visit Medic’s donation page.
Secure the Call
If you have an old cell phone or tablet, whether it is working or not, consider donating to Secure the Call. Secure the Call wipes the data from donated items. Working phones are distributed to vulnerable populations like the elderly and violence victims. Phones which cannot be fixed are recycled.
Secure the Call also has donation barrels available. These barrels can be placed in businesses or community spaces, like retail stores or libraries, and people can place their unwanted phones in the barrel.
Cell4Pets
If you’d like to sell your device and help animals at the same time, try Cell4Pets. They will buy your unwanted phone, wipe the data off it, and then resell it and donate a portion of the profit to a no-kill animal shelter. They buy Android phones and iPhones, tablets, smartphones and MacBook laptops.
Find Local Charities
Would you like to donate your old computers and phones to a local charity, but you don’t know which ones are accepting electronic donations? Try doing a search with Digitunity. Digitunity allows you to search by location. Their website shows you nearby charities and what devices they are looking for.
Some thrift stores also accept computer donations, but you may want to call them first and double check.
Upcycling Laptops and Smartphones
Not sure you want to give up your old laptop just yet? Try reviving it with Linux.
As for your old phone, consider upcycling it into another type of device – for instance, a cheap dashboard camera for your car.
