Research from giffgaff reveals old and recyclable phones left in drawers across UK households could be worth up to £3.4 billion.
Owners of these abandoned phones could get over £100 for each phone they recycle which can also help reduce the UK’s e-waste.
Of those surveyed, 67pc haven’t used their old handset in the past year and 19pc have only used their old device once.
Over 13 million people in the UK hoard mobiles for more than 12 months, but the price they would have got for an unused handset could have halved in that time due to the value declining.
Giffgaff’s urgent call to the nation aims to help people trade-in, recycle or gift their old handsets, and it has already seen double digit year-on-year growth in refurbished phone sales.
Giffgaff CEO Ash Schofield said: “Our latest research highlights that there’s a significant opportunity for people with an old mobile phone to make a tangible, sustainable impact, and gain some extra cash.
“And with the cost of living rising across the board, now is a great time to get something back by trading in your old phone.”