Cash in on your old smartphone.

Over Christmas you might have become the owner of a new smartphone. It’s an exciting time – and often one when your old phone, to which you’ve been almost surgically attached, gets forgotten in an instant.

When you’ve mastered the amazing features of your new toy, spare a thought for your old faithful phone – it’s probably sitting in a drawer, perhaps with several other old mobiles.

Can you put your old phone to good use?

While it’s handy to have a back-up phone, we want to tell you about some other uses for your old handsets that could earn you some cash or rewards, or even raise funds for your favourite charity.

There are lots of options out there. We’ve created this article to inspire you and we aren’t personally endorsing any of the mentioned sites. We simply urge you to do your research and make the choice that’s right for you when it comes to making good use of your old mobile.

Britain’s got cash in the attic.

UK households are squirreling away unused phones worth a whopping £1billion, according to online phone buyer Mazuma Mobile. Mazuma is among a host of companies offering cash for old mobiles, with high-profile competitors including Envirofone and Fonebank.

As we’ve already seen with insurance and holiday services, there are also a growing number of online comparison sites, where you can work out which company will offer you the most for your unwanted handset. Examples include comparemobilephonerecycling.co.uk and comparemymobile.com.

Also, popular price-busting site moneysavingexpert.com has its own comparison site, called mobilevaluer.com,  where you’ll be shown voucher deals in exchange for your phone (from retailers including Boots and Argos) as well as the cash price.

How do phone buying sites work?

On most websites, you have to enter the make and model of your mobile phone in order to get an estimated value for it. Most procedures then involve sending your phone to the company (sometimes to freepost address), where it’ll be tested and you’ll receive an appropriate payment.

Not in it for the money? Then donate to a great cause.

If you’ve already got your new phone, chances are you’re not desperate for the cash from it. So why not help others to benefit? Lots of charities offer phone recycling schemes, including Oxfam, Refuge, Age UK and the Red Cross. You could even have a whip round at the office, clear out the drawers and make a group donation.

What happens to old phones?

In many cases, your old phone will be put to excellent use – for example, by being sent to people or companies in developing countries. Alternatively it could be taken apart and the components recycled or sold on to make new products such as computers and calculators.

Three also offers a free recycling service – just follow the instructions here and even though you won’t get any cash for your old device, at least you’ll know that its parts and batteries aren’t damaging the environment.