About 100,000 stolen handsets worth £4m are believed to be sold on each year.

As mobiles blocked from UK networks can still be used abroad, thieves sell stolen handsets to recycling firms which export many handsets.

Under the code, companies must check phones against a national database and report any stolen ones to police.

Recycling companies encourage people to send in their old, unwanted phones in exchange for money – on average about £40. The handsets are then resold elsewhere, often in developing countries.

High-value handsets
So far, more than 15 mobile phone recycling companies, representing 90% of the industry, have signed up to the new code, requiring them to check handsets against the National Mobile Phone Register.

The register is linked to three national databases – the industry database of blocked mobiles, the police database of mobiles reported stolen, and a voluntary public register of mobile ownership called Immobilise.

The managing director of recycling company Mazuma Mobile, which has agreed to the code, said some handsets, such as iPhones, could be bought for more than £200 by a recycling company.

“We wanted to make it as enticing as possible for people to sell phones to us, but it became obvious to us that high prices like that could encourage people to go out and steal handsets,” Charlo Carabott told the BBC News website.

“We didn’t want that to happen, so we’ve been involved in anti-theft measures from day one, but this is the first time an industry-wide standard has been put in place.”

‘Closing loophole’

Crime prevention minister James Brokenshire said that current efforts to improve the blocking of stolen handsets alongside the code would “make mobile phone theft an even less profitable crime”.

“By joining forces with the police, the mobile phone industry is closing a multi-million pound loophole that has been exploited by criminals and the industry should be congratulated,” he added.

Commander Simon Pountain, from the Association of Chief Police Officers, said use of the National Mobile Phone Register had already led to numerous arrests and the new code would allow for many more.

He added: “Significant offences such as robberies and burglaries have been solved through utilising this new system which has also led to arrests for murder. This is a great example of partnership working at its best for the benefit of the wider community.”

Many used mobile phones are sold daily on ebay, this however can cause problems with the usual ebay issues, such as the buyer not paying, the phone not arriving at it’s destination, ebay fees etc. etc.

However there is a simpler way…..

…. You can sell your old, unused mobile phone to a mobile phone recycling company. There are quite a few mobile recyclers now as more and more people realise that they can earn cash for their old phone rather than just leaving it at the back of your drawer!.

The process is simple too – Simply search for your mobile phone on the mobile phone recycling price comparison site, see how much cash you can earn, send off your mobile to the recycler and wait for your cash. It really is a simple process and in addition to earning you cash, can also help the environment because recycled phones are either refurbished to be sold on and used again (extending the life of the phone) or dismantled in accordance with regulations so parts can be recycled.

Its a win win process and really is simples!

We recommend that any prospective iPhone 4 buyers who currently own an old 3G or 3Gs iPhone arrange to sell your phone for cash as soon as possible.

If you know that you are going to buy an iPhone 4 (or any other mobile phone upgrade for that matter), that you arrange your deal now, the more 3G and 3Gs phones which are recycled, the lower the price offered for them. Many mobile phone recyclers allow 14 days from the date you agree to sell your phone to the date they require it, some allow up to 45 days. So, if there is a potential that you are going to upgrade, recycle your old mobile now!

Current iPhone recycling prices can be seen here:

• Apple Iphone 8GB
• Apple iPhone 16GB
• Apple iPhone 3g 8GB
• Apple iPhone 3g 16GB
• Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB

engerland

Enter this voucher code any time from now until England get knocked out of the World Cup – or Win it – and customers will get 3% more for every item they trade in – simple!

O2 is delighted to announce the launch of O2 Recycle!

Recycle your old mobile phone online with O2. And make some money. Send us your old mobile phone, sat nav, mp3 player, digital camera or handheld game console and we’ll pay money into your bank account. We can recycle phones from any network, so you don’t have to be on O2.

Where possible O2 will ensure the reuse of old mobiles. If this isn’t possible, we’ll make sure they’re 100% recycled

Just follow these 5 easy steps to earn up to £200!

1. Find your gadget
2. Sign in or register
3. Get everything ready to send
4. Send it to O2
5. Get paid

Fonehub is one of the most trusted online mobile recycling website. Fonehub proposes you a unique offer compared to all other websites recycling mobile phones.

If your phone is worth more than £50 and you have original hands free kit or bluetooth headset or a travel charger, which you are no longer using, send it to us and we will pay you extra cash for it.

Our mobile phone recycling program www.simplyrecycle.co.uk is part of Techmo Ltd, a mobile phone recycling business trading from commercial premises in South Tyneside.

We specialise soley in the reuse and recycling of mobile phones. We provide a simple yet comprehensive solution for the disposal of new, end-of-line, surplus or used mobile phones. We offer a fully inclusive service, from freepost and evaluation of mobile phones to payment and safe disposal of any faulty handsets, batteries and components.

A major aspect of our business is helping to prevent pollution of the environment by discarding of mobile phones and accessories whilst paying the general public very competitive prices.

Simply Recycle encourages consumers to recycle their old and unwanted mobile phones responsibly.

We offer a quick 7 day payment turnaround and have recently been rated as the UK’s most efficient service provider by Moneymagpie.com following a review of all sites. When launched in 2005, Mopay was the first service of its kind

We are part of one of the leading recyclers of old mobile phones in the UK collecting over 90,000 mobile phones each month with partners such as Oxfam, The National Trust and Wateraid.

Fone bank pay up to £265 for each mobile phone and payment is made within 2 days. Sell us your old mobile phones, help protect the environment and earn extra cash at the same time. So whether you are an individual, represent a company, organisation or charity Fonebank can help you raise revenue from your surplus mobile phones.

Here are a few facts about used mobile phone recycling -

1. Most of the mobile phones are given a new home, commonly in developing countries where mobile phones are not as affordable as in the UK.
2. According to estimates roughly about 90 million mobile phones are dusting in drawers and cupboards in UK alone.
3. The longer you keep your mobile phone unused in your drawer, the more value it is losing, until it becomes a worthless device. The sooner you trade in your phone, the more money you will get.