It is unlikely that the global recession has completely dampened people’s

enthusiasm for new gadgets this Christmas.

But for cash-strapped consumers with a shiny new mobile in their hands, there is a way of making money from their old, unwanted handsets.

According to mobile phone trade-in website FoneBank, only 20% of UK consumers are recycling their mobiles but those that do can recycle their old mobiles for cash.

A survey it conducted to find out what people did with their mobile found that 28% put them away in a drawer while 23% simply threw them away.

“It’s crazy that a lot of people out there are still just chucking their phones in the bin when they no longer have any use for them,” said Mark Harrison, director of Fonebank.

Source [ BBCNews ]