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Cell Phone Recycling Program

We accept used cellular telephones at no charge.

Located in California, Maine, New York, or West Virginia? Send us your old phone for free, and we’ll ensure it is responsibly and safely recycled to recover valuable raw materials. For other states, please refer to our FAQs.

GET SHIPPING LABEL Program terms & conditions

Reuse first. Recycle last.

Passing a working phone on to a loved one or to a local donation program saves a lot more energy and raw materials than recycling ever can. That’s why we believe recycling should be the last option.

Ready to recycle? It's simple:

  • Step 1: Request your label. Click the button below and fill out a short form to receive your   prepaid shipping label.
  • Step 2: Pack it safely. Securely package your old phone in a sturdy cardboard box. You can hand in up to 2 phones per label.
  • Step 3: Drop your package off. Bring your package over to our designated mail carrier. Remember, we cover 100% of the shipping costs!
Get a shipping label Read terms and conditions

What happens to your old device?


  • 100% of the devices collected through this program are processed by R2v3 or e-Stewards certified recycling companies.

    Material recycling allows us to recover valuable raw materials. By reclaiming these elements, we reduce the need for virgin mining.

How to recycle any electronics in your state

California

Maine

New York

Oregon

Rechargeable Battery Recycling

It’s the law: Disposing of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in the regular trash is illegal in New York and presents a severe fire hazard.

Free recycling: You can return your end-of-life batteries at no cost to be safely processed for reuse or recycling.

Here’s how: For safety reasons, never ship loose batteries in the mail. Please bring them to a local retail store that sells rechargeable batteries, or find an official, free collection site near you using our PRO partner network.

Around 700 million unused phones lie forgotten in American homes.

By 2050, an estimated 120 million tons of e-waste will be generated annually.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Fairphone offering a cellular phone Recycling Program?

We are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of cellular phones, also once they get discarded. Therefore we offer this program to ensure that vital raw materials are kept in the loop by reusing the phone or are recovered rather than sent to a landfill. In alignment with state e-waste regulations in California, Maine, New York and West Virginia, our program provides residents with a free, convenient way to ensure cellular phones are safely processed. We offer this program in collaboration with our Recycling Program Partner Landbell H2 Compliance and their extensive network of recyclers across the United States.

Who can participate in the Recycling Program?

Every consumer located in California, Maine, New York or West Virginia can participate in Fairphone’s Recycling Program.

Important for Businesses: This program is strictly built for household consumer recycling. Bulk corporate electronic disposals must independently adhere to state Universal Waste tracking codes and cannot use these prepaid mailers.

Where can I recycle my old phone if I’m based in another state?

If you are located outside of California, Maine, New York or West Virginia, you cannot use our prepaid mail-in program. However, we highly encourage you to recycle your device locally. You can find free electronic waste drop-off locations near you through the following resources:

  • Earth911: A comprehensive ZIP-code search directory for all types of electronic waste.
  • Major Electronics Retailers: Many national tech and office supply stores offer free, walk-in recycling kiosks for mobile devices.
  • The Battery Network: A national program with thousands of local drop-off boxes for phones and batteries.
Can I hand in electronics other than cellular phones?

No, this Recycling Program is exclusively permitted to handle cellular phones. Packages containing non-eligible consumer electronics (such as laptops, tablets, cameras, or kitchen appliances) will be automatically rejected at the processing center and may be returned to the sender at their own expense.

Loose Batteries: Never ship loose lithium-ion batteries under any circumstances. Loose batteries are categorized as hazardous materials and pose a severe fire hazard during transit. If you have a loose battery, please discard it safely through your local community's small chemical waste or household hazardous waste program.

Do you want to recycle batteries in New York? Find battery recycling drop-off locations provided by our partner, The Battery Network.

How are the devices I have sent being recycled?

Your phone will be shipped to a certified recycler in our Recycling Program Partner’s network in your area. Once they receive your cellular phone, the device will either get fully data wiped and prepared for reuse, or physically destroyed before it enters a material recycling stream to recover materials such as gold, silver and copper. If possible, the recycler will opt for the first option because reuse keeps valuable materials in use for longer and is therefore more environmentally friendly.