Half of Brits hang onto old handsets

Half of Brits hang onto old handsets in case we break or lose our new ones, according to a new survey.

And such unwanted handsets are going to keep piling up, as 87 per cent of Brits replace their phones at least every two years, according to research from the Recycling Factory.

Tammy Arya, general manager at the Recycling Factory, said in a statement: "We generally change our handsets whenever a new, improved model is available or when we are offered an upgrade. This means that within the seven year average lifespan of a mobile phone most of us will go through around three or four handsets."

Indeed, 68 per cent of Brits say they have at least one old phone kicking around the house. Just a fifth recycle their phones, and another fifth pass them on to friends or family members

Some four per cent admit to just chucking them in the bin, the poll found.

A previous report suggested as many as 50 million old handsets are hidden away unused in people's homes.

Click here to find out how you can recycle your old handset - and make cash doing it.