Kiosks have been installed at a number of Merseyrail stations to allow people to dispose of and get paid for their unwanted mobile phones. Tony McDonough reports

People can now dispose of and get paid for their unwanted mobile phones across the Merseyrail network.

Merseyrail has teamed up with tech company ecoATM to give passengers the opportunity to turn in their used smartphones in return for a fast payment. Kiosks have been installed at Southport, Ormskirk, Liverpool Central, Liverpool Lime Street Lower Level and Moorfields stations

They provide a convenient and environmentally responsible way for customers to dispose of their old mobile phones.There are also future plans to roll out more kiosks across the network.

Around 50m tonnes of electronic waste is produced around the world every year, but just 20% of this is properly recycled. As one of the leaders in electronic waste reduction, ecoATM has helped to divert more than 28m devices from landfill and recycled 6.9m lbs of e-waste over the last 10 years.

Phones that are deposited with ecoATM are responsibly recycled or given new life, leaving passengers with peace of mind that they are doing their bit for the environment. To receive their free quote for trading in their used smartphones, all passengers need to do is:

• Place their device into an ecoATM kiosk on the network. The machine then securely analyses the phone and offers an immediate price.
• Accept the price and the ecoATM kiosk will take the device and in return for fast payment straight to the customer’s bank.

Launched in the US in 2009, ecoATM has expanded into Europe over the last three years, and now boasts kiosks in 26 cities across the UK. Suzanne Grant, commercial director at Merseyrail, said: “This is just another part of our commitment to create a cleaner, greener Merseyrail that will assist in reducing emissions across the Liverpool city region.”