How to Dispose of an Old Cell Phone (and Wipe It First)

Wipe it first

EPA's electronics donation and recycling page says to delete all personal information before you donate or recycle. In practice:

1. Back up photos and contacts.
2. Sign out of your cloud account and turn off any activation or find-my-device lock.
3. Do a factory reset from the settings menu.
4. Remove the SIM card and any memory card.

For computers, see retiring an old hard drive.

Trade in, donate or recycle

• Trade in: carriers, manufacturers and retailers often run trade-in or takeback programs.
• Donate: Durham, NC notes that many domestic violence prevention organizations accept phones, and that an unconnected phone can still dial 911.
• Recycle: EPA points to Call2Recycle, Earth911 and the Consumer Technology Association's Greener Gadgets to find drop-off or mail-in options. Many county e-waste sites take phones too. See the electronics guide.

Checked October 2026. Rules for this item vary by city and county, and fees and accepted items change. Check your local solid waste or household hazardous waste page, or call the site, before you haul.

Don't trash it

EPA says lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. They can be damaged and catch fire. If the phone is swollen or cracked, put it in its own bag, and per EPA's lithium-ion battery page, contact the manufacturer for handling advice. Don't pry the battery out yourself. See keeping lithium packs uncrushed in the load.

Why recycling matters

EPA cites a USGS estimate that recycling a million cell phones recovers about 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium.

How to Dispose of an Old Cell Phone (and Wipe It First) FAQ

Can I throw an old phone in the trash?

No. EPA says devices with lithium-ion batteries shouldn't go in household garbage or recycling.

How do I wipe my phone?

Back it up, sign out of accounts, turn off activation lock, factory reset, and remove the SIM and memory cards.

Where can I recycle a phone for free?

Many retailers, carriers and county e-waste sites take them. Call2Recycle and Earth911 list locations.

Can I donate an old phone?

Yes. Durham, NC notes many domestic violence organizations accept them.

What about a swollen phone?

Bag it separately, don't charge it, and contact the manufacturer or your HHW program.

The bottom line

Wipe it, then trade it in, donate it, or recycle it. See also electronics kept out of the trash pit.