Yesterday, Apple held a special "Gather Round" event at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino, California. The company introduced (among other things) a trio of new iPhones, in three different tiers ranging from expensive to more expensive. And for Mac heads looking to make the upgrade, Apple also offered an incentive to do the right thing with your old smartphone: Recycle it, and get a little pocket change in return.
Apple's GiveBack program will pay you up to £550 for a good condition iPhone X, and in descending amounts for previous models—cracked screens, water damages, dead batteries, and all. Just fill out the questionnaire to determine if your phone (or computer, tablet, or Apple watch) is eligible for compensation. Even non-Apple products apply, so if you've got a burner drawer full of Samsung Galaxies or Google Pixels not getting any love, then there's something for you, too.
There are a lot of hard-to-find materials out there that go into each smartphone, and recycling them means less time spent in the ground digging up more. Well, in a perfect world, at least. And it beats taking up space in your dresser drawer. Even actor Ed Norton is fan:
So, help the planet, help yourself. If you could use a few extra bucks (and who couldn't?), give GiveBack a shot.
Nate Erickson is the senior lifestyle editor for Esquire.com. He covers food, drink, travel, technology, and all other lifestyle topics.
