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Where to Get Rid of Anything

Where to donate, recycle, and sell your castoffs so they do some good.
By Katie Arnold-Ratliff and Meredith Bryan
O, The Oprah Magazine  |  February 15, 2011

Mobile Phones

Help Medical Workers
Old—even broken—devices donated to Hope Phones facilitate better healthcare in 14 developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America by allowing medical workers to text each other regarding patients and treatments.

Recycle It
Millions of working cell phones tossed each year in favor of newer models end up polluting our landfills with toxic materials or idling in our drawers. Flipswap will give you cash for your phone and keep it out of the trash by reselling or safely recycling it. Just print out a free-shipping label online. They'll also plant a tree for every phone recycled (since 2008, they've planted more than 400,000).

Give It to a Soldier
Send your old Motorola or busted iPhone to Cell Phones for Soldiers. The phones are sold to a company that recycles them, and Cell Phones for Soldiers uses the money to buy calling cards for troops stationed abroad so they can phone home for free. Go to Cellphones For Soldiers to print a free prepaid shipping label.

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