Mobile Phone Recycling Service
Noel Leeming has partnered with a government-accredited recycling scheme, RE:MOBILE, to help Kiwis recycle your old mobile phones and their accessories like chargers and batteries. The scheme takes unwanted mobile phones, and either refurbishes and on-sells them in overseas markets or recycles them.
What’s even better, for every phone recycled via RE:MOBILE, money is donated to Sustainable Coastlines, a charity that is committed to protecting New Zealand’s coastlines and waterways.
Simply drop your old mobile phone off at any Noel Leeming store, and we will take care of the rest for you.
Find out why it is important to recycle your unwanted mobile phones.
What we take
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I recycle my phone with Noel Leeming?
Simply hand your old mobile phone over the counter at any Noel Leeming store, and we will take care of the rest for you.
Do you recycle my phone’s accessories too?
We will help you recycle your phone batteries and chargers too. However, we are unable to recycle your phone cases.
Does my phone need to be a functioning smart phone?
No. We accept all mobile phones, no matter how old or broken they are.
I have concerns about the data on my phone.
We know that your mobile phone contains many personal details so we do our best to ensure that your data is removed from the device before it is refurbished.
Mobile phones that are refurbished by Swapkit for reuse are wiped of their data; every smartphone is wiped using the MobiCode erasing system while older phones are manually wiped by performing a factory reset. However, the best way for you to keep your data safe is to wipe it from your phone yourself before you donate it to RE:MOBILE. To find out how to remove your data from the device, go to: https://remobile.org.nz/your-data/.
Phones that are broken or don’t turn on will be disassembled and recycled for parts, meaning that any data on the phone will be destroyed in the recycling process.
What happens to my phone?
All phones that are donated to RE:MOBILE are sent to SwapKit in Auckland.
Swapkit sorts through the phones and divides them into two groups:
- Phones for recycling: These are phones that don’t work, are broken or are really old. They are sent by our recycling partners Zero Waste NZ to Japan to be broken down into components. Over 95 percent of the materials in a mobile phone are recovered when they are recycled.
- Phones for refurbishment: These are phones which still work well and can be reused. They have their data wiped from them. This is either done manually by performing a factory reset or by using the MobiCode erasing system. The phones are then sold to businesses that specialise in the re-sale of second-hand mobile phones in places such as Hong Kong, China and Eastern Europe.
What is RE:MOBILE?
RE:MOBILE is a not-for-profit mobile phone recycling scheme which is accredited by the Ministry for the Environment. Learn more
How much money does Sustainable Coastlines get from my phone?
The amount of money Sustainable Coastlines receives for each phone varies due to a number of factors which include the type of phone, the age and condition of it, and whether it is recycled or refurbished.
What does Sustainable Coastlines do with the money?
placehSustainable Coastlines uses the money from RE:MOBILE to plant trees along New Zealand’s waterways. This helps to remove nutrients, slow sediment runoff and stop chemicals from entering the water, all which help to improve the water quality.lder
Looking to recycle other types of e-waste? Click here.
Our Partners
Noel Leeming stores that provide mobile phone recycling service
Mobile Phone Recycling at Noel Leeming
What if you could help the environment by donating your old phone? That's what we offer with our mobile phone recycling program.
Noel Leeming will accept any mobile phone, cell phone battery, and chargers—and recycle them in a government-accredited scheme that donates money to Sustainable Coastlines, an organisation dedicated to preserving our oceans.
It couldn't be easier: just drop off your phone at one of our locations, and we will take care of the rest for you.
Which stores can you drop mobile phone to?
The following stores can accept your recycling iPhone or any other E-Waste: Whangarei Supa, St Lukes Mega Centre, Wairau Park, Manukau Supa Centre, Te Rapa, Mt Maunganui, Rotorua, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Moorhouse, Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill.