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Compare and Recycle

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Cash-for-electronics comparison website
Compare and Recycle
Company typePrivate company
IndustryPrice Comparison
FoundedNovember 2009; 15 years ago (2009-11)
FounderMatthew Moreton
HeadquartersMaidstone
ServicesMobile phone recycling
Number of employees10 (August 2024)
Websitecompareandrecycle.co.uk

Compare and Recycle is an independent UK-based online comparison website for electronics recycling. It is owned and operated by Atom Juice Limited. The website is registered in Maidstone, England, and focuses on recycling of mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches, digital cameras, headphones and other devices.

History

Compare and Recycle was founded in November 2009 by Matthew Moreton to offer a way for consumers to cash in on their used electronic devices via an easy-to-use comparison website. He partnered with Andrew Quinn to fund the launch of the website and build a commercial network of recycling companies to feature on the website which included musicMagpie, O2 Recycle and more.

By 2015, Compare and Recycle allowed for the recycling of mobile phones, laptops, hair straighteners, portable media players, SAT navs, digital cameras and games consoles.

By the end of 2018, the comparison website had a cumulative total of a million of customers. The website then decided to focus its comparison services on mobile phone recycling, recycling of smart electronics and wearables. In 2018, the website was an Amazon Web Services Digital Business of the Year Finalist (Amazon Growing Business Awards).

Records show that in 2023 alone, the website helped consumers in the UK generate £56.4 million for their used gadgets and avoided more than 39 tonnes of electronic waste.

Platform

The website is powered by an algorithm that checks integrated recyclers’ price feeds and updates prices regularly for over 4000 products to be displayed to the user. In essence, the comparison website directs the user through a three-step process where the user searches and selects the product to trade on the site, accepts an instant valuation and submits a trade-in order by filling in an order form.

Originally, the Compare and Recycle platform was built using PHP which was retired internally by 2018. Compare and Recycle's new infrastructure expands into three core services, namely the user-facing application powered by Next.JS, billing and product systems powered by Django. The most recent addition was a high performance Rust pricing engine.

Research

In 2019, Compare and Recycle have launched an annual report on iPhone depreciation, demonstrating value decline of iPhone models in circulation and how drops in value correlate with the release of new iPhone models identifying August as the best time to sell an iPhone.

Using anonymised postcode data, Compare and Recycle listed the top 10 locations in the UK where residents most often recycled their used electronic devices. In 2020 Dunfermline in Scotland took the crown, in 2021 Southey Green in Sheffield came first, and in 2022 Portsmouth was in the shortlist.

In a study on smartphone use in the UK, Compare and Recycle surveyed 2,000 people and revealed that 55% of Brits experienced symptoms of ‘smartphone finger’, such as pains and physical changes in their little finger as a result of excessive use of smartphones.

See also

References

  1. Rannard, Storm (19 August 2020). "Phone recycling firm buys Maidstone HQ". Insider Media. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  2. "We are delighted to announce and congratulate the growing British businesses shortlisted for the 2018 Amazon Growing Business Awards". aboutamazon.co.uk. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  3. Year in Review, Compare and Recycle. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  4. About Us, Compare and Recycle. Retrieved 29-08-2024.
  5. Paul Lipscombe (25 August 2020). "Study reveals August is the best time to cash in on your iPhone". Mobile News. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  6. Sophie Curtis (27 August 2019). “Why now is the best time to sell your old iPhone ahead of Apple launch.” Mirror. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  7. Alex Lynn (3 March 2020). "Dunfermline the greenest town in the UK". Electronic Specifier. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  8. Kev Rodgers (17 March 2021). "The Sheffield neighbourhood that's just been crowned 'Greenest Town' in the UK". The Star. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  9. Steve Deeks (4 March 2022). "Portsmouth celebrated as one of top UK cities for being environmentally conscious". The Portsmouth News. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  10. Paul Speed (11 May 2024). "Two-second test to see if you have 'smartphone finger' - and how to fix it". The Mirror. 2024-08-21.
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