'Recycling' ATM gives cash for old mobile phones

A recycling ATM offers gadget freaks the option to trade in their discarded mobile phones for cash, rather than dumping them when they go in for the latest model. Californian company ecoATM has rolled out the machine that is sophisticated enough to see if a screen is cracked, evaluate unwanted goods for resale and recycling - hoping to inspire people to go green. Old gadgets still have a value as either an affordable alternative, spare parts, or even melted down for the residual value of the metals inside. ecoATM has developed the device with support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The ecoATM finds second homes for three-fourths of the phones it collects, sending the remaining ones to environmentally responsible recycling channels to reclaim any rare earth elements and keep toxic components from landfills. Click here for full story