Money in the bin – millions of Brits are throwing away over £200 as just 1 in 10 recycles unused smartphones

• Research reveals the average UK household is missing out on over £200* in cash as only one in ten recycle their unwanted smartphones
• Almost a third (29%) of Brits aren’t aware their unused devices can make them money
• Nearly a quarter (24%) incorrectly believe that throwing away an unwanted mobile phone in a general bin, local tip or skip is ‘responsibly’ disposing
• O2 is encouraging Brits instead to boost their January finances and trade in their old tech for cash via O2 Recycle
• Experts at O2 also reveal how to retain a mobile phone’s value to make the most cash from recycling

Thursday 16 January 2025, London:  Research from Virgin Media O2 has revealed the average UK household is sat on over £218* worth of unwanted mobile phones, but only one in ten¹ (11%) Brits has traded in a device in the last five years. In response, Virgin Media O2 is encouraging them to trade in their old smartphones via O2 Recycle and give their finances and the environment a boost this January, whilst preventing electronic waste ending up in landfill.

Following a festive period in which many Brits were gifted new devices from loved ones, the research shows that nearly 10 million Brits² aren’t aware their old tech can make them money. In addition, 35% don’t know where to trade in a mobile phone for cash.

Worryingly, the research also found that a quarter of Brits (24%) incorrectly believe that throwing away an old mobile phone in a bin, local tip or a skip is ‘responsibly’ disposing.

Six in ten Millennials claimed to consider themselves eco-conscious, whereas less than half (45%) of Gen Z felt the same – with less than one in ten (8%) of Gen Z respondents having recycled an old device¹ in the last five years.

When it comes to trading in their old tech, the research reveals that Brits, on average, typically take up to three months³ to trade in their old phone. Yet, O2 Recycle experts warn that unused tech – gathering dust in drawers and cupboards – is depreciating in value, and waiting means Brits could be missing out on a substantial sum of cash, versus if they traded in straight away.

To help the country understand the trade-in process and how they can best benefit their pockets and the planet, Regina Mutonono from O2 Recycle, shares her top tips and advice:

O2’s trade-in tips:

• Check how much your tech is worth: O2 Recycle is available to anyone – regardless of their mobile network. You can see how much cash you get from your old tech including phones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds.
• Don’t let tech collect dust: Sell your unwanted mobile, laptop or tech as soon as you’re done with it. The sooner you sell it, the more money you’re likely to get for it.
• Remove your SIM before trade-in: You should ensure that the SIM is taken out prior to selling the handset (or memory card where applicable), but don’t worry about your personal data being accessible, as O2 Recycle will wipe data from all devices for you

For those who’ve recently got a new phone and want tips on retaining their phone’s value, O2 advises:

• Use a phone case and screen protector from day one: Visual and cosmetic damages such as cracks and scratches can reduce the trade in value by up to 50%. Ensuring your phone is protected with a sturdy case and screen protector is a great starting point to protect the value of your device.
• Reduce the screen’s brightness: Many people don’t realise that consistently keeping your phone’s screen brightness at a high level can lead to ‘screen burn’. Screen Burn can be caused by high screen brightness, where prolonged bright displays cause some pixels to degrade faster than others. If trading in a device with visible screen burn, the damage can lead to a deduction of up to 80% on the trade-in value, so try to reduce the brightness of your screen to 50% or below and reduce your screen timeout so that it is not on when not in use.
• Avoid overcharging: Charging your phone excessively can damage battery life, which is a factor in a phone’s resale value. Using high-quality chargers and unplugging your phone when it reaches around 80% charge can help protect your phone’s battery.

O2 Recycle is open to anyone – regardless of their mobile operator – and since its launch in 2009, has recycled over four million devices and paid over £350 million to customers. Last year the programme processed over 100,000 devices which were saved from landfill by being resold as refurbished devices to customers or recycled.

Brits can also make use of O2’s ‘Like New’ range which offers the ability to get a get their hands on Like New refurbished phones or Brits can also make use of O2’s Like New refurbished range and save up to £200, all whilst reducing their carbon footprint compared to buying new.

Find out more about O2 Recycle right here.

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Notes to Editors

For more information, please contact vmo2pressoffice@hopeandglorypr.com

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,002 nat rep consumers (16+). The data was collected between 23.12.2024 – 27.12.2024. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

¹ Those who, if anything, did something with any old phones they were no longer using in the last five years

² Based on 29% of the working adult population (as reported by ONS in 2024)

³ Those who have traded their phone using their mobile provider’s trade-in

* Research from Strand Partners’ specialist research team surveyed online 1,020 representative members of the UK public between 19.09.24 and 20.09.24. The sample is representative by age, gender and NUTs 1 region to the UK public based on the latest census data.

Our survey estimated the value of unused technology lying about in British households by:

• Asking the public to estimate how many unused devices they had in their household. This included mobile phones, tablet, smartwatches, hearables e.g. headphones, Airpods, gaming consoles and MacBooks / laptops.
• Adding together the total value of how many unused mobiles, on average, each household has (1.60) and multiplying this by the average mount O2 Recycle has paid out for this device (£136.46).

O2 Recycle:

On average, O2 Recycle pays out:

• £80.16 for consoles
• £53.52 for earbuds
• £205.17 for laptops or MacBooks
• £136.46 for smartphones
• £144.52 for tablets
• £81.36 for wearables/smartwatches

Consumers can simply send their old device, regardless of the mobile network they are with, to O2 Recycle for free by getting a free postage QR code or by requesting packaging to be sent to their home or office that includes a printed free postage label. Find out more here.

Recycling your old phone is straightforward with O2, and you don’t even have to be on our network. With O2 Recycle, you can get a competitive price for your old phone, even if it’s damaged.

O2 pays cash for your old phone directly into your bank account. We can also send you a cheque, or credit your phone bill if you’re an O2 customer.

O2 has a zero landfill policy, so the vast majority of phones we receive will be reused, repaired or recycled for parts. Find out more at https://www.o2recycle.co.uk/

O2 Like New offering:

O2’s refurbished phones come with up to £200 off, a 3-year warranty on a Plus Plan or Ultimate Plan and have less carbon impact compared to buying new. O2 have a strict criterion of checks that test the functionality and appearance of all Like New phones.  Learn more at https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/like-new

About Virgin Media O2

Virgin Media O2 launched on 1 June 2021, combining the UK’s largest and most reliable mobile network with a fully gigabit broadband network where customers benefit from average speeds 5x faster than the national average.

The company has more than 45 million UK connections across its award-winning broadband, mobile, TV and home phone services. Its fixed network covers more than half of the country (17.8m homes serviceable) alongside a mobile network that covers 99% of the nation’s population. The company is on track to bring 5G to all populated areas by end 2030 and already offers 5G connectivity to more than two-thirds of the UK population.

Virgin Media O2 is upgrading its fixed network to full fibre to the premises with completion in 2028. Its shareholders and investment firm InfraVia Capital Partners, through a joint venture called nexfibre, are investing approximately £4.5bn to build fibre to 5 million homes and businesses not currently served by Virgin Media O2’s network by 2026, with the opportunity to expand to an additional 2 million homes. As a wholesale customer of this network, Virgin Media O2’s total footprint will reach around 80% of the UK once build and upgrade work is completed.

Through Virgin Media O2 Business, the company plays a leading role supporting entrepreneurs, businesses, enterprises and the public sector with their digital transformation through a range of connectivity, security, cloud and tailor-made services. It is also the network of choice for mobile virtual network operators giffgaff and Sky Mobile, as well as managing a 50:50 joint venture with Tesco for Tesco Mobile.

The company is committed to using the power of connectivity to make its better for people and the planet, taking action to close the digital divide and building an inclusive, resilient, and low carbon economy. The business has set an ambitious commitment to achieve net zero carbon across its operations, products and supply chain by the end of 2040.

Virgin Media O2 is a 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica SA, and one of the UK’s largest businesses. Virgin Media O2 is registered in England and Wales. Registration number: 12580944.  Griffin House, 161 Hammersmith Road, London, United Kingdom, W6 8BS.