Taiwan Launches Mobile Phone Recycling Month: Discover How Much Your Old Device is Worth

Environmental Protection Bureau Encourages Citizens to Recycle Old Mobile Phones, Highlighting Their Value in Precious Metals

Mobile phones contain valuable precious metals and hazardous heavy metals. Improper disposal can lead to environmental pollution and resource waste. To encourage the public to recycle old mobile phones, the Ministry of Environment has designated October as Mobile Phone Recycling Month. Last year, during the campaign period, the New Taipei City Environmental Protection Bureau collected nearly 7,000 old mobile phones. The bureau explained that recycled old mobile phones are weighed and sold to qualified manufacturers for subsequent dismantling and processing.

Deng Xiao-guang, head of the Circular Resources Section at the Environmental Protection Bureau, stated that old mobile phones are already part of regular recycling items. However, due to relatively low collection volumes, they are typically categorized under "miscellaneous" recyclable materials, processed alongside items like fluorescent tubes by qualified vendors. These are sold by weight, with prices ranging from NT$2.21 to NT$2.43 per kilogram, depending on the collection point. Based on the current weight of mobile phones, it is estimated that "recycling a single old mobile phone indeed yields less than NT$1."