Last August, Apple expanded its recycling program in the United States to allow customers to turn in their used iPhones and iPads for Apple gift cards.

uk iphone recycling
As noted by Macworld UK and Macerkopf.de [Google translation], Apple has once again expanded its recycling efforts by bringing a similar initiative to the UK, France, and Germany. But rather than offering payment in the form of an Apple gift card, the program in these countries offers users cash deposited into their bank accounts.

With the Reuse and Recycling Programme, you could turn your old equipment into a brand-new Mac, iPod, iPhone or iPad.

Whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC computer, working or not, we’ll take it and determine if it qualifies for reuse and has a monetary value. If it does, the amount will be credited directly into your bank account. If it doesn’t, you can recycle it responsibly through one of our free recycling programs.

The program, offered in conjunction with the German arm of electronics recycler Dataserv, builds upon Apple's existing programs for recycling Macs, PCs, batteries, iPods, and mobile phones.

Apple supports recycling efforts in a number of other countries through third-party organizations with details for each region of the globe available from Apple's main recycling program pages.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Caution)
Related Forums: iPad, iPhone

Top Rated Comments

WeegieMac Avatar
167 months ago
My 20" Aluminium iMac from mid 2009?

Cost me £829 ... offering me £147 if I wanted to sell it.

iPhone 4 16GB black? Cost me £500 new almost a year ago to the day (warranty expires in 2 days) ... £177.

I'd rather rub my balls with sandpaper.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ants42 Avatar
167 months ago
Nice one, Apple

iPhone 3GS 32GB (white, working condition)

cash4phones: £111.11
Mazuma Mobile: £108.00
envirofone: £102.11
Apple: £52.00

Nice one, Apple.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrboult Avatar
167 months ago
iPhone 3GS 32GB (white, working condition)

cash4phones: £111.11
Mazuma Mobile: £108.00
envirofone: £102.11
Apple: £52.00

Nice one, Apple.

That's is amusingly poor on Apple's part.

My 20" Aluminium iMac from mid 2009?

Cost me £829 ... offering me £147 if I wanted to sell it.

iPhone 4 16GB black? Cost me £500 new almost a year ago to the day (warranty expires in 2 days) ... £177.

I'd rather rub my balls with sandpaper.

I nearly soiled my self with laughter at that comment.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TwoBytes Avatar
167 months ago
iPhone 3GS 32GB (white, working condition)

cash4phones: £111.11
Mazuma Mobile: £108.00
envirofone: £102.11
Apple: £52.00

Nice one, Apple.


Really? Where did you get apple's pricing? this is a joke! Oh dear apple..
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phil A. Avatar
167 months ago
Most people that take advantage of apples program are not worrying about getting every penny they can but more interested in recycling an old device so it doesn't end up in a land fill.
Other companies that buy your old phone don't landfill them - they are recycled: This from Mazuma Mobile


Mazuma Mobile aim to reuse over 95% of the mobile phones received in various developing markets where the cost of new mobile phones is sometimes unaffordable.
Where mobile phones are not reusable, we promise to recycle them in the most environmentally friendly way.
We are a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Authorised Treatment Facility and are ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Accredited.
You also have to take into account the usual tricks played by these people. They will offer say £100 online and you send it in and then they offer a lower price based on some random reason, e.g. scratched, etc.

The £52 offered by Apple is more realistic and probably what the others will offer in reality.

Edit: Reviews like these are typical of such recycle companies (this for envirofone):
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews98440.html
I've never used envirofone, but have recycled loads of old phones through mazuma and have never had so much as a single penny less than the offer made online and they pay cash into your bank within hours of receiving the phone

Whatever way you look at it, the apple option is not a good deal compared to the rest of the market
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LastLine Avatar
167 months ago
Bottom feeders. Its a scam.



Recycled=Sold to third worlders at exorbitant prices no doubt.

Doesn't Apple at least donate the usable stuff to schools etc?
Who cares? Ultimately you're recycling - if a company can make a profit on that and employ people because of it? Fair play to them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
M4 Pro on Blue

M4 Pro Chip Benchmark Results Reveal an Extremely Impressive Performance Feat

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:06 pm PDT by
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance. Here is a comparison of the results: Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results) Mac Studio...
Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1

iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Friday November 1, 2024 4:04 am PDT by
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation...
best early black friday deals

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Friday November 1, 2024 8:21 am PDT by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 29 in 2024. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
M3 Pro Max vs M4 Pro Max Feature

Here's How Much Faster M4 Pro/Max Are for Graphics vs. M3 Pro/Max

Friday November 1, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple's new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are impressively fast in terms of CPU performance, topping the M2 Ultra, but what about graphics performance? The first Geekbench 6 results for GPU performance are now available for the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and the Metal scores reveal some impressive year-over-year gains. Based on the Metal scores that are available so far, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are up to...
imac video apple feature

What to Expect From Apple This November

Friday November 1, 2024 9:40 am PDT by
After a busy October in which Apple announced new Macs and Apple Intelligence launched, the calendar has now turned to November. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple this month as the slower-but-still-busy holiday season approaches. After seeding the first betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 with additional Apple Intelligence features last month, Apple will likely...
pixelmator

Apple Acquires Photo Editing App Maker Pixelmator

Friday November 1, 2024 8:41 am PDT by
Apple has reached an agreement to acquire Pixelmator, the company behind popular photo and image editing apps Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, according to an announcement made by the Pixelmator team on Friday. Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, Pixelmator has developed a suite of well-regarded creative tools that compete with...