Are You Properly Disposing of Your Old Cell Phone Cases?

19 Oct, 2022

Are You Properly Disposing of Old Cell Phone Cases?

Cell phone cases have become one of the trendiest and most disposable accessories of the modern era. Whether it’s glitter bomb central or a waterproof Otterbox, cases are an growing industry year over year. But what happens to old phone cases when their owner gets a new phone or wants a new design? More often than not, these non-biodegradable materials wind up in landfills. 

Why Bother Recycling Cell Phone Cases? 

It can be easy to be “out of sight, out of mind” when discarding items. But here are a few reasons why recycling cell phone cases matters:

• Most cases are made from plastic, and a plastic phone case is going to take a very long time to break down (the current estimate is a minimum of 100 years!). This means way too many old phone cases are sitting in landfills for the next century.
  
• The more material that sits in landfills, the more toxic pollution is created in the nearby earth, air, and water.
  
• If landfill waste is incinerated (which it often is), it releases toxins into the air that negatively affect the surrounding ecosystem.
  
• Dyes from phone cases can run off into the water. That also affects the nearby ecosystem. 

“79% of all plastic waste ever produced accumulates in landfills, dumps, or natural environments like the ocean“.

Incipio

It may seem like a small thing, but taking the time to properly get rid of your phone case can have a huge impact on the environment, especially if everyone chips in. 

Now, this doesn’t mean you can just toss your phone case in the recycling bin! Because of how they’re made, most municipal recycling places won’t accept them, which means they’ll wind up in the trash. So, what do you do? Send them to a company that has the capacity, capabilities, and machinery to properly recycle them!

What to Do With Old Phone Cases 

It can be tricky to know where to recycle old phone cases. To make the process easier, we’ve created a four-step system for you. Here’s how it works:

1. Fill out our form.
2. We’ll send you an email with a prepaid USPS Return Label attached to it! (Don’t forget to check your spam folder in case it winds up there).
3. Print out that label and attach it to an envelope.
4. Put your phone or tablet case inside and drop it in the mail. 
5. Our recycling center in Hebron, Kentucky (and our passionate staff) will take care of the rest.

Pro-tip: Want to invest in a more sustainable phone case option in the future? Skip the plastic phone case. Instead, consider buying a case made from biodegradable, plant-based materials such as cork. 

Go Easy on the Environment

Our planet does a lot to take care of us — the least we can do is return the favor. Now that you know where to recycle old phone cases, you have a bit of that power! At Close the Loop, our goal is to make sustainable solutions as simple as possible. By disposing of cases properly and sending them to our team, we can reduce landfill space and harmful pollutants!

Recycle your cell phone case today! You can do it!

Note: Currently, Close the Loop does not accept batteries, hazardous waste, cell phones, tablets, or electronic waste.