Nearly all of us have a telephone of some kind. If you don’t really use your landline much, it may be worth considering getting rid of it, though some people prefer to have the security of a landline too. Or at least switch to a more sustainable smartphone.
If you can’t read or hold a phone book (due to impairment or disability), BT offers free 195 directory enquiries, and registered customers also don’t pay for 1471 or 1571 (call return) fee (call for an application form).
ecotalk is a mobile operator network, where you can switch (keeping your number) and profits are used to buy up land for rewilding projects across England. Run on EE, there are simple affordable tariffs and the company is also run on green energy.
Honest Mobile rewards loyalty, with bills reducing until they are 30% of your bill. You are also told if you make a chargeable call, so you don’t get a nasty surprise on your bill. The company also plants trees on your behalf and you can view how much carbon you’ve saved on your phone. You can keep your current number.
phones helping local communities
GoodCall is a mobile network for charities and non-profits. This social enterprise aims to reduce the digital inequality and offer mobile phones and line rental to save non-profits an average of 40%.
Recycling for Good Causes lets you donate unwanted mobile phones (don’t bin them, they leak toxins) to any small local cause. Just pop in an A5 envelope (with unwanted jewellery, coins, stamps) and write the name of your chosen cause on the downloadable label. Order a free sack for large collections, free when it meets required weight.
BT’s Adopt a Kiosk lets communities adopt a disused phone box for just £1 which can then be used to offer something of value – for a place to store a defibrillator to a food bank or book exchange. Just email to say which kiosk you would like to adopt and they’ll review the request. If accepted, they will disconnect the phone and leave you in charge!
switch to a more sustainable smartphone
There’s no guarantee due to the liquid crystal display (like laptops) that any phone is vegan. But you can choose brands that are made from recycled plastic and are repairable (not glued in so you have to send them off to be repaired).
The recent Right to Repair Act excludes phones and laptops, which rather defeats the object. Apple threw its toys out of the pram and eventually conceded, but now sells an expensive DIY repair kit, which is not really much better. The alternative of course is to buy a used smartphone, rather than buy new (or go without – Ed Sheeran does, he hasn’t owned a phone for years, saying it made him sad and stressed!)
Fairphone 5 is made with conflict-free recycled materials and easy to repair. In a world where there are more phones than people, their Keep Club gives rewards, the longer you keep your existing phone. You can also recycle your old phone, to redeem credit against your next one.
It also sells climate-conscious headphones made from 80% recycled plastic and 100% recycled aluminium, in a folding design that you can repair yourself. Made with a living wage, these are built to last and they recycle the same amount of electronic waste, for each pair bought.
Teracube 2e looks like a regular smartphone but you don’t have to ditch and upgrade it every 2 years. It has a 4-year premium care warranty and can be repaired (even by yourself). While big tech companies glue phones shut and force customers into expensive in-house repairs and unnecessary upgrades, this company puts customers and the planet first.
The phone is made with 25% recycled polycarbonate and has a replaceable battery with full HD+ display and dual rear cameras and a front-facing camera. You also get a pre-fitted screen protector, charging cable and biodegradable case, sent in minimal recycled packaging.
TeraCube Thrive is a safe smartphone for children (child psychologists suggest age 11 is the minimum age). This phone sets time limits with built-in location tracking and also blocks unsafe searches (and unapproved callers). Bark is a US app that keeps children safe online, yet still respects privacy (it has prevented countless incidents of bullying and at least two school shootings).
Doro 8100 is not just ‘a smartphone for seniors’ but for anyone fed up with the constant designer one-upmanship in the mobile phone industry. Most of us like to have a phone, if only for emergencies. This one has all you need (including an emergency assistance key) but no more.
giffgaff is a people-owned phone company that also sells refurbished phones online. The phones carry a 12-month warranty and you get free next-day delivery with 80% battery health or better. You can search by brand and trade in your own old phone to help pay for the cost.
switch to biodegradable phone & airpod cases
WaveCase makes biodegradable phone cases from wheat straw, which are drop-tested 26 times to ensure they are as strong as conventional plastic phone cases. The company was created by two friends who grew up in a small town in northeast England, and saw firsthand the effect of plastic pollution in the oceans. Their phone cases are carefully designed to protect your phone, yet look stylish too in many designs and colours. The cases are also shipped in sustainable packaging. And if you upgrade your phone, you can return the case to get a discount on a new one. The old case will then be recycled into new cases or industrially composted.
The wheat straw means each case is unique, with small flecks in each design. The texture is smooth but grippy, so it will slide in and out of your pocket, but not out of your hands (unlike silicone). Note the lighter colours are prone to picking up dye from denim, so choose darker colours if this concerns you. The range includes phone cases for iphones, Samsung and Google phones, and some are Magsafe compatible. You can also purchase Airpod cases, Airtags, bio-based charging cables and recycled glass screen protectors.
where to sell (or recycle) used mobile phones
Envirofone not only lets you recycle old phones for cash, but you can also buy quality refurbished phones, to save on buying new. The store sells a wide range of phones (and tablets) at a fraction of high street prices, each device is thoroughly quality-checks and includes a 12-month warranty. And if you have an old phone gathering dust (or even a broken device you think no-one wants, this company will take it off your hands, in return for cash.
Mobile phones are lying around in drawers in their tens of millions, yet if landfilled this leaks batteries and other toxins. This company has recycled over 4 million phones in the last 20 years in England, Holland, Sweden, Ireland and Spain, and sends refurbished phones the same day, with a 30-day cooling off period. Just pick a phone on the same SIM network and get your new phone.
Refurbished phones cost around a third less and the one-off payments have no effect on credit ratings, and these phones are contract-free. You can order an unlocked network if wished, and these phones include a free USB cable. The only difference is there may the odd scratch on the casing.
If you sell phones to them, you could make up to £900, depending on the condition, age, make/model and if it’s locked to a network. Phones have their memories wiped on arrival and you can opt to have your phone unlocked from a network and the sim card and external memory cards removed. This service is suitable for Apple iPhones and Samsung, Huawei and Google phones. You can also sell unused gaming controllers and wearables.
You can also donate your phone to raise money for your favourite small charity or humane research charity (if not listed, just register and then order a freepost envelope).
Grade Mobile is another good site to sell your used phone, or buy refurbished ones. Passed devices are professionally cleaned of data and fingerprints/dirt, and these phones can be repaired by their in-house technicians. You can also buy refurbished Apple watches and iPads to sometimes save over two-thirds on buying new.
Alternatively, get someone to host the box, and everyone in the community can deposit their used mobile phones and accessories with TerraCycle, that sends it off to make into other goods. The box costs around £100 (funded by a council or you could all pool £1 each). It’s like a town amnesty, to get all the rubbish out of your town, that councils can’t recycle. It takes phones and screen protectors but not batteries (put them in your local battery recycling bin).