BRITS are sitting on old phones and other gadgets worth £100s that could easily be sold off to recycling schemes.
Last year, O2 Recycle alone paid out £6.6million for old phones, tablets, consoles, earbuds and more.
Sign up for the Tech newsletter
Thank you!
Thousands of devices are processed for recycling each day at the Likewize facility Credit: Jamie Harris / The Jattvibe
Once they’re fixed up they’re sold on at a cut price
The Jattvibe’s Jamie Harris had a go at some smartphone repairs himself Credit: Jamie Harris / The Jattvibe
Yet, only a third of people have recycled a smartphone in the past five years, meaning many are missing out on quick and easy cash.
Research by Virgin Media O2 has revealed that one of the main concerns preventing phone owners is fears about whether any personal data couldbe accessed.
On the flip side, Brits can save even more money by buying a refurbished phone – but this too comes with some hesitations, such as poor battery life and damage.
To get a better understanding of what actually goes into refurbishing smartphones, I visited the Likewize facility in Crewe, Cheshire, home to Virgin Media O2’s recycling partner.
G-O2!
O2 reveals FREE mobile upgrade for millions of customers in over 700 locations
GO-2!
O2 starts ‘UK first’ satellite powered mobile data TODAY and it’s FREE for some users
It’s here where thousands of devices are received each day and go through a surprisingly rigorous revamp – much more than I had expected.
Special processes are carried out to not only ensure data is cleared entirely, but also giving everything a fresh sparkle for new owners keen on buying a second hand phone for a cut price.
It all begins by collecting your old smartphone or other tech in the first place.
O2 Recycle’s website will give you an estimate in minutes for how much you’ll receive – currently you can get up to £342 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max for example.
Other gadgets they accept include tablets, laptops, games consoles, watches and even earbuds.
The Likewize facility has its own automated packaging preparation area, which sorts out a box and label to send to you to post back with your device for free.
This big beast pumps out up to 2,300 packs per hour as soon as people hit send.
And if the device arrives by midday the customer will get the money later that same day if it meets the description outlined.
Once the kit arrives at the recycling site, it goes through a surprisingly thorough myriad of checks and processes.
Crucially, every handset is put through a forced factory reset to ensure no personal data has been left on them.
It also goes through a series of clever AI machines to test functionality, with about 170 different points of information captured.
There’s a cell that gives the devices a good clean and picks up on defects the human eye can’t see.
After this, they’re sorted into two bags – those ready to go and others that need a bit more TLC.
If it’s good to go, the handset can be in the hands of a new owner in as little as 48hrs.
For those that need another looking at, there are a number of large stations operated by skilled staff.
The cleaning station is pretty eye-opening, with a series of special machines that magic aware nasty scratches.
I tried it on my own iPhone and it looks as good as new.
My iPhone on the left looks as good as new – having previously been riddled with scratches Credit: Jamie Harris / The Jattvibe
A technical area deals with things like replacing the screen or battery.
I had a go in their mobile repair vans to try replacing parts with some guidance – and it’s certainly a skill to be appreciated.
Having seen behind the scenes you get a much clearer idea of the level of attention recycling an old phone goes through.
And while most people will be focussed on the idea of getting some extra cash, it’s reassuring to see data safety is taken seriously.
So is it time to dig around for your old disused gadgets to make a bit of easy money?
Here’s the average amount Brits make with O2 Recycle:
Smartphones – £148
Wearables / smartwatches – £78
Tablets – £112
Earbuds – £46
Consoles – £34
MacBooks – £78
