More than 80 percent of all mobile phone parts can be recycled. Unfortunately, far too many UK residents don't realize this. They dont realize, either, that they can get fast cash for recycling their mobile phones.

According to a recent study by mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, only 3 percent of people bother to recycle their mobile phones. Most either throw their old phones away when they upgrade or simply relegate them to the back of a desk drawer or closet.

This is unfortunate, but it isn't surprising. According to the same Nokia study, an incredible 75 percent of mobile phone owners had no idea how to recycle their old, unwanted phones.

This is unfortunate for several reasons: For one, it's terrible for the environment. Mobile phones contain many chemicals, often including cadmium; that can prove harmful should they leak into the soil at landfills, where they often end up. At the same time, there are many people across the UK who would happily take a refurbished used mobile phone.

Finally, mobile phone users lose out, too, when they fail to recycle their old mobile phones. That's because it's extremely easy today to sell mobiles phones for cash.

Thats right: In today's tough economic times, when everyone is looking for that extra bit of cash, the majority of mobile phone owners are passing up an easy chance to make some easy spending money.

A growing number of companies in the UK will recycle old mobile phones for cash. These companies host Web sites with names such as Envirofone, Earth Mobile, Mobile Phone Xchange and Sell Old Mobile. The good news is that these companies will take both working and non-working mobile phones and send their previous owners cash.

The process is a relatively simple one: When mobile phone owners decide it's time to purchase a new phone, they look up one of the recycling companies online. They can then type in their unwanted mobile phone's name and make. The recycling company will come back with an offer.

Mobile phone owners can then reject that offer and search one of the other mobile phone recycling sites or they can accept it. Once they've accepted it, they then mail their used mobile phone to the recycling company, which sends back a payment in return.

What kind of prices are people getting for their mobile phones? That depends, of course, on the age, make and model of the phone. But mobile phone owners can expect to receive about 55 pounds for a relatively modern mobile phone in working order and about 21 pounds for mobile phones that are no longer usable.

Of course, mobile phone users should make sure to clear all of their personal information from their phones before sending them away. This includes their address book and contact information.

The odds are that more residents will soon realize the value of recycling their mobile phones for cash. After all, it makes far more sense to do this than it does to simply throw away a mobile phone or stow it in the bottom of a desk drawer.

Recognizing this, a growing number of companies are now entering the mobile phone recycling business. This is good news for phone owners: It gives them more options, and more places at which to shop for the best prices for their old mobile phones.

Consumers have plenty of options when they upgrade to a new mobile phone. They can donate their old mobile phone to friends or family members who can't afford to purchase one of their own. They can donate their old mobile phones to charities.

These are good options. But neither of them will make consumers money. Those owners who are in need of a bit of extra spending money, should investigate recycling their mobile phones for cash. Consumers just might be surprised at how easy this really is.

In today's struggling economy, we're all looking for ways to earn some extra spending money. Every little bit of additional cash, after all, can help us pay our bills and meet our financial obligations. That's why you might want to consider recycling your old mobile phones; it's a great way to turn your unwanted mobile phones into cash.

Search the Internet for mobile phone recycling companies, and you'll turn up dozens of companies willing to take your old mobile phones and send you cash in return. It's a great way to earn a bit of extra pocket change while doing a good deed for the environment.

After all, when you recycle an old mobile phone, you make sure that it doesn't end up taking up space at a local landfill. And in today's technology-obsessed world, a growing percentage of the waste stream that does end up at landfills is made up of electronics. And, yes, this certainly includes all those unwanted mobile phones that consumers throw in the trash every year.

Fortunately, the growing number of private recycling companies offer an alternative to consumers. They will take even mobile phones that aren't working and turn them into cash for you.

Here's how it works: You log onto a Web site such as EarthMobile.com, SellOldMobile.com or Envirofone.com. Once there, you can scroll through a list of mobile phone makes and models. Find your phone and you'll see a price listed next to it. This is the amount of money that the recycling company is willing to pay for this model.

If you think the offer is fair, accept it. The company will then send you a padded, self-addressed envelope. Insert your phone in it, after removing its SIM card, and send it off. Within seven business days, usually, the mobile phone recycling service will send you your cash payment. It's that simple.

Of course, you still have options even if you don't like the recycling company's offer. For one thing, you can surf to another company's Web site. There are many firms competing for the phone-recycling business, so you should have no trouble finding another offer. Who knows? You might find an offer that's significantly better.

If you never do find an offer that satisfies you, though, this doesn't mean that you still shouldn't recycle your mobile phone. Remember, by recycling your old mobile phone, even if you don't do it for cash, you're still doing a great service to the environment.

You may choose to donate your mobile phone to a friend or family member who desperately needs a new mobile phone but can't afford one. You can also send it to a local charitable agency or non-profit organization. These groups often are in desperate need of mobile phones, but can't afford to purchase them. You'll be doing them a great service by donating your old mobile phones to them.

You might also check with your local municipality. Many cities and towns hold their own electronics recycling days. During these special days, consumers can toss their old computer monitors, TV sets or mobile phones and have them collected at no charge. These will then be recycled. Once again, by going this route, you'll be keeping your old mobile phone from ending up in a local landfill.

The only option that doesn't make any sense is to toss your mobile phone in the trash when you upgrade to a new model. This, of course, only adds to the local landfill problem, and only promotes waste. Do the right thing, recycling your mobile phone for money or to support a good cause. You'll feel good about yourself if you do.

Why are so many companies recycling mobile phones for money?

If you surf the Internet looking for companies that recycle mobile phones for money, you might be surprised by how many online retailers are now offering this service. But there are two good reasons why so many companies have entered the mobile phone recycling business: First, it's good for the environment. And second, the potential for profit in this business is immense.

Look at the potential profits first: Some studies suggest that there are some 90 million unwanted mobile phones now cluttering up the desktops and filling the glove compartments of UK residents. That's a lot of old mobile phones.

Unfortunately, most of these will eventually end up in the trash, and then at the bottom of a landfill somewhere. But a growing number of mobile phone owners are realizing that they can actually make quick cash by recycling their mobile phones.

That's because there are a large number of companies already serving the UK market that will take unwanted mobile phones and send their owners cash for their efforts.

These companies are now doing business online at Web sites such as Envirofone.com, Money4YourMobile.com and SellOldMobile.com. They all operate under the same principle: Mobile phone owners log onto the sites, type in some basic information about their mobile phones and wait for an offer. When they get an offer they like, they then mail their unwanted mobile phone to the recycling company.

The recycling company then completes the circle by sending money back to the consumer. It's an easy, quick way for consumers to gain a bit of cash.

And for the companies that specialize in this field, mobile phone recycling stands to be an ever-growing business. Mobile phone manufacturers are constantly introducing new models. This encourages mobile phone users to discard their current models so that they can upgrade these new-and-improved versions. This means that there will constantly be a supply of old, unwanted mobile phones in the UK that need to be recycled.

Mobile phones are actually highly recyclable. In fact, about 80 percent of the parts of most mobile phones can be recycled. That's quite a high percentage.

It's unfortunate, then, that a recent study by mobile phone maker Nokia found that only 3 percent of mobile phones are ever recycled. The same study found that an amazing total of 75 percent of mobile phone owners do not know how to recycle their old mobile phones.

This leads to the second reason why there are so many companies out there dedicated to recycling mobile phones: It's good for the environment. When people toss their old mobile phones rather than recycle them, these phones inevitably end up in a landfill. The country's landfills are already tight on space. As more old electronics, including mobile phones, end up in them, landfill space only continues to disappear.

The private phone recycling companies, then, are helping the environment by encouraging consumers to sell their old mobile phones for cash. Yes, the private companies want to make their profits, too, but it's hard to deny that the service they offer is making a positive impact on the health of the environment. If they encourage more consumers to recycle their old mobile phones, they're doing a bit to keep these phones from entering the waste stream.

Consumers today talk a lot about the importance of being green; and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, this is all talk unless consumers are willing to actually act on their beliefs. And one easy, and financially productive way for them to do this, is to recycle their old mobile phones for cash. It's a simple and easy way to reduce the pressure consumers so often place on landfills.

You may have noticed that a growing number of your friends are recycling their old mobile phones for cash. You may have considered doing this yourself. But maybe you have some concerns. Maybe these worries are preventing you from selling your own unwanted mobile phone for easy money.

This feeling is understandable. Most of the private recycling companies that are offering cash for old mobile phones operate solely through the Internet. This means that you never actually talk to a human being. This can be unnerving. And there's something unsettling about sending a mobile phone through the mail. What's to stop someone from stealing that phone, something that would prevent you from ever seeing any money for recycling it?

These are all legitimate fears. Fortunately, though, the business of selling old mobile phones for cash generally runs extremely smoothly. In fact, few people ever complain about the process. This bodes well for consumers who don't want to simply throw their old mobile phones into the trash, ensuring that they'll eventually end up in a landfill somewhere.

To ease your fears, you might talk to some of your friends who have successfully recycled their old mobile phones. Find out from them how the process worked, how long it took them to receive their money and if they were happy with the amount of cash they received for their old mobile phones. Ask them, too, if they had any troubles with customer service at any of the recycling companies.

The odds are high that your friends will tell you that the entire recycling process ran smoothly and efficiently, and that, if they had the chance, they'd do it all over again.

This should ease some of your fears. You can also make yourself feel more comfortable by knowing that the mobile-phone-recycling process is rather transparent. There are no surprises for the consumer.

For instance, when you log onto the Web site of a private recycler, you'll see a list of phone manufacturers. Click on the company that makes your mobile phone. You can then search for your particular make and model. Once you find on it, click on the icon. You'll instantly be presented with an offer from the private recycling company.

You are under no obligation to accept this offer. If you think it is too low, you can simply pass on it. If you think it is a fair and reasonable offer, though, you can accept it with the click of a mouse.

You then either send your mobile phone through the mail to the recycling company or request a self-addressed padded envelope from the recycler. Once you send off your unwanted mobile phone, you generally receive the amount of money you agreed upon within seven business days.

As you can see, this is an extremely simple process. Most times, the recycling transaction can be completed in fewer than 30 minutes.

If you still feel uncomfortable with the process, contact the recycling company itself. Make sure the company you are working with has contact information printed clearly on its Web site. It's best to work with a company that includes not only an e-mail address but a phone number, too. It's often easier to get in touch with a recycling firm by phone than it is by e-mail.

You can then ask the recycling companies about their guarantees of top service and satisfactory results. This, hopefully, will put your concerns to rest.

Recycling mobile phones for cash is a good thing: You'll be keeping mobile phones out of area landfills and earning some easy cash at the same time. So put aside your concerns and log onto the Web home of a private recycling company. You might be surprised at how smoothly the recycling process goes.

Are you a bit short on spending money these days? You certainly wouldn't be alone. A growing number of UK residents are feeling the pinch of the country's down economy. If you're looking for some extra cash, think about recycling your old mobile phone for money.

There are several private recycling companies that are now accepting old mobile phones throughout the country. They are refurbishing these devices and donating them to people who need mobile phones but can't afford them. In other instances, they are sending these phones to non-profit groups or charities that also can't afford to buy their own mobile phones.

When these recycling companies receive mobile phones that aren't in working order, they still make good use of them. They may disassemble the phones and then recycle their important components, including the plastics and metals that make them up. In fact, about 80 percent of the components of most mobile phones are recyclable.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of UK residents never bother to recycle their old mobile phones, even for the possibility of cash. Studies suggest that of the 90 million or so unwanted mobile phones now scattered about the country, only a tiny number are ever sent in for recycling. Only 3 percent of mobile phone owners ever actually bother to recycle their old phones.

Most simply stow their unwanted mobiles in dresser drawers, cubbyholes or briefcase bottoms. This is bad enough. But many others toss their mobiles in the nearest trash can. This is especially troublesome because these phones then end up in the bottom of landfills.

And mobile phones don't just sit there. They often leak possibly dangerous chemicals such as lead, beryllium and cadmium into the soil.

You should buck this trend. Be one of the minority who recycles their old mobile phones for cash.

You can do this simply enough. Search the Internet for mobile phone recyclers. You'll turn up pager after page devoted to online firms that offer this service. Find one you like, search for your particular phone make and model and click. You'll instantly receive a cash offer.

If you like this offer, accept it. You can then request a padded, self-addressed envelope to mail your phone in to the recycler. Or, if you don't want to wait, send the phone to the recycling firm in your own envelope. You can then expect your payment in seven business days.

And what will that payment be? This depends on the make and model of old mobile phone that you are recycling. Some newer models may fetch anywhere from 40 pounds to more than 100. Older, less in-demand models may only generate offers in the 10- to 20-pound range.

You can even sell non-working mobile phones for cash. Of course, the offers for these phones won't be as high. Still, it's almost like receiving money for nothing.

Once you do recycle your mobile phone, make sure to spread the word among your family members, friends and co-workers. You might be surprised to learn that the majority of your acquaintances have no idea how to recycle their old mobile phones. You can help change this, though, by telling them all about how positive your recycling experience was.

Recycling your old mobile phones for cash is a simple and profitable process. Don't hesitate to do it when you're ready to upgrade to a newer model of mobile phone. And once you join the phone-recycling bandwagon, make sure to invite others on. We'll never reduce the stress on our nation's landfills until we make some positive changes.