Sims’ online buy-back offer for ‘Zombie’ phones

United States – Zombie Phone is the name given to a new online buy-back service for mobile phones, launched by Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS) in the USA.

The phones will be processed at SRS’ plant in West Chicago and will either be resold or dismantled; the former will undergo secure data erasure while, in the case of the latter, reusable components will be recovered and all remaining materials recycled.

Visitors to the Zombie Phone website enter their phone information and receive a payment offer. If the consumer accepts the offer, they get an envelope – known as a ‘body bag’ – or shipping label to enable them to send the phone to SRS for free.

Of the 141 million cell phones available for recycling in the USA each year, only 11.7 million are collected, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. For every million cell phones, 35 274 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

For more information, visit: www.zombiephone.com