Too good to be left in a drawer: how to make your old smartphone useful again
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We’ve all been there : a new, lightning-fast, shiny smartphone arrives, and just like that the old device disappears into a drawer. There it lies, unused, even though it often still works perfectly well and could continue to provide valuable service. Mobile phones are often replaced earlier than necessary. Maybe it’s because the latest model is tempting, or because you can pick out a new device after two years as part of a contract renewal.
The decision is often more emotional than rational. Keeping your smartphone longer not only saves money, but also resources. Every additional year of use means less raw material extraction and fewer CO₂ emissions. However, we often decide to buy a new device anyway, which raises the question: What to do with the old smartphone? Depending on the age and condition of the device and whether you want to donate or sell it, there are various options available.
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Resell & Trade In
For many people, selling or trading in their old device is the obvious option. You will often receive enough cash back to make it easier to upgrade to a new model. You don’t even have to bother with the faff of selling the device privately, given that all of the major Luxembourg providers offer their own trade-in programs for old phones.
POST Luxembourg – Mobile BuyBack: Up to five devices can be handed in at the same time, with a maximum total value of €1,000.
- Link: https://www.post.lu/en/particuliers/support/telephonie-mobile/telephones/mobile-buyback/definition
Orange Luxembourg – Rɘ Program / Trade-In: You can easily get an initial estimate online. The final price, however, is confirmed in the shop using a diagnostic device. If the device no longer has any market value, you will still receive a symbolic €2 voucher.
Tango: The provider offers up to €400 discount when you purchase a new device and trade in the old one. Tango also accepts old, no longer usable cell phones in cooperation with SuperDrecksKëscht and Ecotrel. For each device that is handed in, you can choose between a €5 voucher or a donation to Natur&ëmwelt.
How much is my old smartphone still worth?
If you decide to go down the route of selling privately, the question as to what your old smartphone is still worth becomes important. Publicly accessible trade-in offers from platforms such as Back Market (https://www.backmarket.com/en-us/buyback/smartphones) can provide you with a rough idea. There you can find the “up to” prices for different models in top condition, which is a good guide for estimating the value of your own device.
But beware: these prices are “up to” values for devices in top condition. In practice, scratches, weak batteries, or insufficient memory can quickly reduce the price by 20–30%.
Donations & Social Sharing
It’s not always about personal gain; one man’s trash can often be another man’s treasure.
Digital Inclusion a.s.b.l.: collects used devices, refurbishes them, and gives them to people who would otherwise have no access to them. For many people, a smartphone is much more than just a device for making phone calls; it is the gateway to information, education and work, and thus to genuine participation in our digital society. In 2024 alone, 209 people in Luxembourg were supported in this way.
Mobile Bag: a joint initiative by POST Luxembourg, Digital Inclusion a.s.b.l., and SOLINA Aarbechtshëllef asbl. With support from POST, devices are collected in special envelopes. Newer smartphones go to Digital Inclusion for refurbishment and distribution to those in need, while older ones are professionally dismantled and recycled by SOLINA as part of its vocational integration program.
This means that an old smartphone gathering dust in a drawer could become someone’s first digital gateway to society.
Recycling – recovering valuable materials
And if the device is really defective or very old? Then the best option is recycling to keep valuable rare earth elements in the material cycle.
SuperDrecksKëscht organises mobile collections in municipalities, often several times a year.
Ecotrel is a non-profit organisation in Luxembourg that coordinates the collection and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. Though they do not collect the equipment themselves, the organisation works with retailers, municipalities, and recycling partners to ensure that old equipment is handled properly.
Time to check your drawers!
Whether you sell, donate, or recycle it, every smartphone deserves a second life. So open up that drawer, take out your old mobile phone, and send it off on a new adventure!
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