UK households hoard almost ?800 of unused phones

Many UK families could have almost £800 worth of unwanted mobile phones at home, a survey has found.

According to research by SellMyMobile.com, 84 per cent of households still have at least one unused phone at home, which can generate money when sold on to a recycling firm.

“It is apparent that the majority of UK customers aren’t aware of how much an old mobile phone can fetch in value, and since so many families are tightening their belts for Christmas this year, it’s a great way to tick some money off the present list,” said Keir McConomy, managing director of Sell My Mobile.

Although many recycling companies will only pay out small amounts for very old handsets, some more valuable items such as Apple’s iPhone can generate hundreds. The iPhone 4 will recycle at £390 on average, compared to Sony Ericsson’s Z300, which may only get £1.