Brits Could Be Sitting on £700 in Unused Tech – Here’s How to Cash In

• O2 Recycle pays for old tech like phones, laptops, and consoles, averaging £80 to £205 per item.
• The initiative, running since 2009, has recycled four million devices and paid out £347 million.
• Recycling helps Brits earn extra cash while reducing e-waste and preventing landfill.

Brits might unknowingly be sitting on a “treasure trove” of unused electronics worth an average of £700, according to Virgin Media O2.

The O2 Recycle scheme offers cash in exchange for unwanted gadgets, just in time to ease the strain of Christmas spending. Items such as smartphones, laptops, wearables, earbuds, and even gaming consoles can all fetch decent payouts, with no parts going to landfill.

Nicola Green from Virgin Media O2 said: “Britons are sitting on a treasure trove of unused tech worth almost £450, which could earn them much-needed extra cash in time for Christmas while also reducing e-waste.

“With our O2 Recycle service, anyone can send in their unwanted devices – from phones to laptops and consoles – and boost their festive finances. Meanwhile, their old tech can be given a second life or recycled.”

How much can you earn?

Here’s a breakdown of O2 Recycle’s average payouts:

Consoles: £80.16

Earbuds: £53.52

Laptops or MacBooks: £205.17

Smartphones: £136.46

Tablets: £144.52

Wearables/smartwatches: £81.36

According to research by the tech company, UK households may have as many as 15 million unused phones and nearly 3 million tablets lying around.

How does it work?

Once you’ve provided the details of your device, O2 Recycle sends you a postage label. Simply pack up your gadget, stick on the label, and send it off. Remember to back up and erase all your data with a factory reset before shipping.

After inspection, O2 will confirm the final price and send payment directly to your account.

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented, “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to declutter and earn some extra cash while doing something good for the environment. Whether it’s a forgotten phone in a drawer or an old laptop gathering dust, it’s worth checking how much your unused tech is worth."