You never know what you'll find at your local e-waste recycling center. One lucky passerby snagged two Samsung phones that were in surprisingly good condition and shared their discovery with vintage phone enthusiasts.
What happened?
In the r/VintageMobilePhones subreddit, the user shared a photo of their find, which included a red Samsung flip phone and a smartphone, both of which looked brand-new.
Saved "these 2 phones from an E-Waste bin," they titled the post.
"Both do work just fine, no problems," the original poster said in a comment.
"The Samsung one looks new," one user complimented.
"Man, the nostalgia.. my father used to have the red Samsung when I was a child," another commented.
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Why is e-waste concerning?
E-waste is a huge source of pollution worldwide and even surpasses plastic waste in terms of its impact on the environment. It leaches heavy metals and other chemicals in the soil that can contaminate ecosystems and cause health problems with prolonged exposure. Electronic waste is also notoriously difficult to recycle, which explains why less than 22% of the materials made it to recycling facilities in 2022, per the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
The economy suffers significant losses from wasted materials such as lead, copper, and gold in electronics, with the accounting firm EY reporting that the global economic toll of e-waste is at least $57 billion. When materials aren't recycled, companies must mine for more resources, wasting money and harming the planet.
According to the World Health Organization, many of these recycling facilities are located in developing countries that don't have proper regulations or infrastructure to do the job safely. That means workers — primarily women and children — can be exposed to around 1,000 hazardous chemicals while processing and sorting materials. These pollutants have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, neurodevelopmental delays, and reduced lung function.
Is Samsung doing anything about this?
Since the phones were upcycled in this case, both Samsung and the e-waste facility are benefiting the environment. Samsung says it's committed to bringing e-waste drop-off bins to all 180 countries where it operates by 2030.
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Store them at home 📦 E-waste nonprofit organizations, such as Repowered, are also making a difference in the fight against electronic pollution, and retailers such as Apple and Best Buy offer trade-in programs for customers to exchange old phones, laptops, and other gadgets for store credit. If items aren't eligible for credit, the stores will recycle them for free.
What else is being done about e-waste?
The startup Trashie launched a Tech Take Back Box where users can send in unwanted electronics and get awesome perks, such as movie tickets and food delivery credits. If you'd like to make money on your old phones and accessories, selling them online or bringing them to your local Best Buy are great options. You can also donate them to charities or recycle electronics at an e-waste facility.
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