Are iPhone Boxes Recyclable? (And iPhone Chargers?)

There is almost nothing as exciting as opening a brand new box of any item, particularly an Apple product. iPhones are usually the talk of the town, with their many inclusions that make them stand out. It is also great that they are relatively affordable and can be bought at virtually any computer store.

With each iPhone that comes out, you may choose to sell your old one. If you have the box, well, it makes it a more attractive buy. iPhone boxes are also quite portable; you can use them to keep your jewelry, pins or small items that tend to go missing when you need them. On the other hand, you may eventually have to let go of the boxes because of wear and tear.

Aside from that, you may have to buy a new iPhone because your old one has already used up its lifespan. Or maybe it happened to spoil beyond repair. Either way, how do you dispose of the box when the excitement of ripping it open is over?

Well, this blog post aims to show you the various ways you can dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner.

Can You Recycle Iphone Boxes?

You may be looking to get rid of your old iPhone box. For one, you may need space for other things. Or you may just get over your desire to hold on to it. Whatever the case may be, you may be looking into ways to dispose of those boxes if you are an environmentally positive individual.

Now, it must have crossed your mind to recycle it, and you may be wondering if you can. Well, the good news is that you can. You certainly can recycle your iPhone box, but not in its entirety.

Apple boxes usually come with a plastic holder that makes the iPhone, charger and earphones stay in place. Now, you certainly cannot recycle that plastic part with your box, so you will have to take it out. You may also want to inquire at your recycling location if they can recycle the plastic part.

However, there are pretty high chances that they will not. The plastic casing is made from PVC. PVC is a #3 plastic with an excessive addition of chemicals that cannot be separated easily. You can recycle it, but it is pretty tricky to find something else to use it to make, as the moment the PVC content exceeds its average level, it becomes useless.

Now, back to the box itself. The iPhone box is made from paper, which can be recycled just about anywhere. You will hardly find a recycling center that does not accept paper products, and as such, finding a place to recycle yours will be a walk in the park.

They will simply recycle it with other paper items such as cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, etc. However, you may have to inquire if your recycling center accepts them just to be on the safe side.

If they do not, you don’t have to worry as you will still find a place that does. You can use a recycling locator to find a recycling location that does, or even a paper recycling company. But, really, it is paper, so finding a place to recycle it will never be an issue.

Can You Recycle iPhone Chargers?

If you own an iPhone, then you may likely charge your device every day, particularly if you spend a lot of time on it. So the frequent use will indeed affect it, and you may have to change it sometime.

The general rule of thumb is that if you can connect an item to a socket, it is e-waste. E-waste is far more common than you think, so there are numerous companies that recycle it. Your iPhone charger certainly counts as e-waste as you can plug it into a source of electricity.

Well, you can recycle your iPhone charger, and easily at that. Some recycling centers make provisions for you to bring in your e-waste on certain days and send those materials to companies that recycle it. If yours is like that, you have indeed hit the jackpot. You may have to inquire to find out.

However, if they do not accept e-waste, you can use the internet to find the closest e-waste recycling company. It will undoubtedly be a walk in the park as there are now numerous e-waste recycling companies.

You can choose to drive down to drop it off or even have them pick it up for a small fee. Of course, you can save it for when you have a ton of e-waste to recycle, so you can just take them all down at once.

Your last option may be the hardware store. If you can’t seem to find a company that recycles e-waste, then you may match down to the hardware store to inquire if they accept e-waste. They most likely will, as we are confident they get a lot of demand to do so. They will also be in the best position to drop off your charger or have the recycling companies come to pick it up.

Are iPhone Boxes Worth Anything?

If you have acquired a collection of iPhone boxes, it may cross your mind if you can make some money off them. You may be wondering if they are worth anything. Well, you may read on to find out.

You can sell your iPhone box, but you may likely make peanuts off it. You may be wondering why anyone will want to buy an iPhone box without the iPhone, and here are a few reasons.

Someone may be interested in an iPhone box if they intend to sell their old one and want it to look relatively new. However, if it comes in a box, it gives off the impression that the previous owner hasn’t used it for long.

People who sell iPhones may also want to ship them overseas. Aside from giving off the impression that the phone is a bit new, the box also protects it from damage while it’s being shipped. With the recent iPhones having glass screens and backs, if they are not adequately protected, the back may crack or break before it gets delivered. However, the screen is quite strong, so you may not have to worry about that.

You should also note that some people buy iPhone boxes when they want to sell off a stolen phone. It certainly makes the phone appear not to be stolen because no one expects anyone to steal the phone and the box? Well, you cannot get in trouble for selling your iPhone box to a stolen phone seller, so you don’t have to worry about that.

You can sell your old iPhone boxes, especially if you have got a collection of them. However, do not expect to make a lot of money off them. If you can find someone willing to take them off your hands, you may be getting nothing more than a few bucks off them.

Are iPhone Boxes Waterproof?

The latest iPhones have been designed to be waterproof, which means that you can now soak in that jacuzzi while streaming your favorite show without having to worry about your phone falling in water and spoiling. Of course, you can also take it underwater for a photoshoot.

As we mentioned earlier, iPhone cameras get better with reach release, and as such, you may want to utilize the camera even when you are at the bottom of a pool or when it is raining.

Well, you may think that since the phones are waterproof, the boxes may be too. However, the boxes are made from paper, and paper certainly is not waterproof. The box an iPhone comes in is a bit sturdy and can withstand a level of wetness. Raindrops or water with high pressure must have fallen on the box for a period before it can even begin to get soaked.

The box is made from a sturdy kind of paper that can resist water to an extent. The new box, just like a ton of new boxes, also contains some oil that may make water slide right off when it comes in contact with it. However, the oil fades away after some time, so you cannot always rely on it.

What Can You Do With Old iPhone Boxes?

You can do various things with your old phone boxes aside from hold on to them as an aesthetically pleasing sight. We assure you that you will enjoy trying out these exciting tips, so please read on!

1. Jewelry Holder

You may choose to use your old iPhone box as a jewelry holder. You can put some padding in it, paint the top of the box and keep your jewelry in it. The box has a cover, so you never have to worry about your jewelry going missing.

You can also travel with the box; it has a cover, so you don’t have to worry about your jewelry getting offset and going missing.

2. Gift Box

Fashioning a gift box out of your iPhone box is certainly going to be a walk in the park. If you have got some mini gift items you are looking to give someone, your iPhone box is the perfect package for it. You can paint the box a lovely, cool shade, add some paddings and place your gift items in it.

3. Charger Holder

This is an excellent craft for holding your charger and iPhone while charging. You will have to cut out the shape of the charger and the depth of your iPhone off the bottom or top of the box. Plug the charger into the socket through space you made for it. Next, place your phone in the space you cut out for it.

Your charger will ensure the box fits perfectly whilst also holding your phone. It is an incredible hack if you do not have a table near your socket.

4. Makeup Organizer

You can also cut one of the boxes from the pair of your iPhone box into four equal sizes. Back them against each other to form a shelf of some sort. You should then place the shelf in the other part of the box, and you will have yourself a small makeup organizer. You can use it to arrange your makeup brushes.

Conclusion

If you own a couple of iPhone boxes you are looking to dispose of, you may be wondering if you can recycle them. Well, even aside from recycling, you may be looking into other methods to dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner.

Well, this blog post answers your questions thoroughly. So please, read up, digest and stay informed.

References:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/that-box-of-cords-plugs-and-tech-paraphernalia–deal-with-it-now/2019/11/18/4a807e30-04d2-11ea-ac12-3325d49eacaa_story.html

https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephenlaconte/if-you-keep-your-iphone-box-in-a-drawer-for-no-rea

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About Rinkesh

A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe.