EcoATM eats phones, disgorges cash

How do you make it easier for people to recycle their cell phones? Try making it as easy as getting money out of an ATM.

EcoATM takes the ATM concept and applies it to gadget recycling. Just drop your old phone in a slot, let the machine ascertain if it has any remaining value, and decide whether you want to accept the offer it makes you. Designed to be placed inside electronics stores, consumers are typically given gift cards in lieu of cash. And if an old phone doesn't have any residual value, it can be left behind in the kiosk nonetheless, destined eventually for a recycling center or refurbishing.

How does the system know if a device is damaged? Cameras analyze devices for cracks and scuffs -- and even if the junky old phone isn't worth a dime, customers get a freebie item for their trouble, and a tree planted in their honor.

EcoATM has been installed as a test case in one Omaha store, the Nebraska Furniture Mart. Consumers who use the device to trade in their phones get store credit for future purchases or a trade-up coupon for a new phone.

Much to my surprise (considering how odd the idea is), the company says EcoATM is a hit: 23 phones recycled on its first day and $100 in payouts on day two including, says the linked story, a BlackBerry Curve in perfect condition.

With only one box in the field, the Omaha experiment is a critical one, but the company says it's planning to roll kiosks out in four more locations before the end of the year, with a "massive rollout" slated for 2010. The goal is also to expand what EcoATM can recognize and value, including all manner of portable electronics ranging from music players to laptops and even printers.

There was no word on how you're supposed to get a printer through that little slot, however.