You just upgraded your cell phone, so what do you do with your old cell phone?  You do not really want a box of old cell phones sitting in your closet, so where do they go?

1.  Use them as a 911 phone.  Even if the phone is deactivated, you can still dial 911 on it and use it for an emergency use.  This would work great for your children who are not old enough for a cell phone, yet you want them to have something in case of an emergency.  This also works well for the elderly.  You can also donate them to a local women’s shelter who will make sure a woman in a possible abuse situation has a very needed lifeline.  If you do not have a local shelter that you know of, check out Verizon’s HopeLine Program.

2. Donate them to a soldier in order to give them a way to call home.  The cell phones are sold to a company that recycles them. The money that we get for the phones is used to purchase calling cards and free phone service for deployed and returning military personnel.  Each device recycled generates enough income to provide solders with two and a half hours of talk time to call home.  Check out the program at www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

3.  Tinker with it. An old cell phone is a great way for you or your children to learn about electronics.  You can take it apart, learn what the various pieces are used for, and even use it in various ways.  You can even use it as a robot’s brain or as an LCD monitor for your computer!

4.  Give it to your children to play with.  You do not have to keep it charged.  I remember how much fun I used to have with a play phone.  Just punching the buttons and acting like a grown-up is most of the fun!

5. Sell your phone and get some cash.  Or you can swap it for the phone you have always wanted.  Sites such as BuyMyTronics buy all sorts of electronics such as phones, iPods, game consoles, and digital cameras.   You can also sell it or trade it for another phone on FlipSwap.

6. Finally, if none of the above appeal to you, you can always recycle your phone.  Many electronics retailers off you a drop off place for your phone to keep it out of landfills.  You can also use RecycleMyCellPhone.org which provides a postage paid label to recycle your phone with.

The key is that there are still many uses for the old unwanted phones, you just have to get creative!