subject: Help Out the Planet While You Sell an Old iPhone [print this page] Help Out the Planet While You Sell an Old iPhone
One thing that yuppies and tree-huggers can agree on is just how awesome the iPhone is, and how much it has changed how people are able to communicate and get tasks done. For those who are more interested in the business-end of things, the chance to take an entire computer on the road without needing to deal with lugging a laptop changes the way that business travel can be done. And for anyone who is more interested in social networking or staying in the loop, it's a whole new way to communicate with friends and loved ones.
At the same time, those who are interested in a green-friendly approach to technology can enjoy upgrading to the Steve Jobs smartphone precisely because it is so interested in taking care of the environment. In addition to recycled parts, the choice to sell an old iPhone can also be green-friendly, since so many people out there want a model and are willing to purchase it used rather than deal with the high cost of buying it off the shelf. At the same time, for many who choose to sell an old iPhone to finance an upgrade to a new model, it's possible to salvage an older phone that might be broken or have troubles, since the market for parts for the iPhone is just as crucial as the market for the device itself!
Consider the benefits of the choice to sell an old iPhone to someone who can then turn it into four new fully-functional models. This is the chance to take a screen, a motherboard, or other parts from something that you have sitting around in a desk drawer somewhere, and apply those new parts to models that need them, rather than ordering each individual piece from some faraway factory. This means that there are less items being produced, which is great for the planet, and also means that the person doing the repairs can keep the cost low, just because you decided it was worthwhile to sell an old iPhone instead of chucking it. Anything that can promote sourcing from models that are already out on the market instead of spending big chunks of money shipping in new parts is definitely helping to cut down on carbon footprints and take better care of the environment at the same time.
Of course, it's just as worthwhile for the environment for anyone who is considering the latest edition of any Apple product to consider how easy it would be to put an older model back out there in the world, rather than keeping it for no apparent reason other than to have it sitting around back at the house. When you opt to sell an old iPhone instead of simply hanging onto it, you're making it possible for someone who couldn't afford a new model to get on board with technology. But the choice to sell an old iPhone is also the choice to help people spend less on parts that don't need to be manufactured, necessarily. And that makes a considerable difference in the end, too.
