Designer turns old smartphones into sustainable jewelry, perfect for V-Day gift

You might be looking for a gift for your Valentine right now (it’s about a week away!). Jewelry is a good go-to, but you might be worried about ethics and sustainability when it comes to precious metals. Luckily, sustainable jewelry is a hot market at the moment, and a company we are particularly excited about has a new line available.

A new product line called G.OLD from an upcycling design company called NoWa uses precious metals from old smartphones to create beautiful and sustainable jewelry. NoWa — which is short for “no waste” — partnered with used electronics company Back Market to create the G.OLD line.

Both Back Market and NoWa are two companies dedicated to keeping e-waste out of our landfills. Every year, 50 million tons of e-waste is produced and 70% of that either ends up improperly recycled or simply tossed in the trash.

Related: 10 ways to recycle your phone

Many people don’t know that inside much of that e-waste — especially smartphones — there are precious metals such as gold, copper, and silver. NoWa harvests those metals and repurposes them into sustainable jewelry. Many of NoWa’s pieces, including those in this G.OLD line, are very affordable, starting as low as €39.95 (~$43.95).

Don’t be scared off by that euros symbol, as NoWa will ship its pieces to the United States!

If you are interested in any of the G.OLD items, you should act fast: only 100 pieces are on sale. If you miss your opportunity, you can head to NoWa’s site to browse through the rest of its sustainable jewelry collections.

If you have an old phone, please don’t toss it in the trash. Consider selling it on the used market, donating it to a charity, or responsibly recycling it.