News 12 This Morning at 6 o'clock / Thursday, December 23, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. --- New cellphones make great presents every Christmas. If you are continually upgrading to the newest and latest phone, the old ones usually get thrown away or sit in a drawer collecting dust. But many companies and recycling centers will take the phone off your hands.

At the Columbia County Government Complex, old phones end up in a recycling container.

"We take anything-any make, model, brand," said Jenny Hinton, manager of the Green Program in Columbia County. "They do not have to be in working condition."

Hinton says they've collected more than 200 phones in 2010. She says that number could be higher considering the number of people buying new phones for Christmas.

"Getting new phones for Christmas," said shopper Megan Tomco. "Me and my boyfriend are doing that."

It's on Treh Hayne's Christmas wish list too. "I'm getting a new phone. My sister wants to take my old phone, and then my mom is going to get her old phone," she said. They keep the recycling in the family.

But if you want to get rid of your old phone while doing something good, you can drop it off at most stores. Cell phone providers like Verizon collect old phones to recycle them and raise money to fight against domestic violence through their HopeLine program.

"We clean them out completely," said Robert Matthews, manager at a local Verizon store. "You don't have to worry about your information staying on the phone."

The Columbia County government takes their used phones to Atlanta, where they are fixed up and sold back on the market. Some of the phones are recycled for use at shelters for battered women.

All the Verizon stores have a drop off boxes if you want to help fund groups like the HopeLine. Cellphones for Soldiers is another organization you can donate your old phone to, and they'll purchase a phone card for soldiers overseas so they can call home.

If you plan to sell your old phone online, make sure all your personal information is deleted from the phone and reset it to factory settings.