HAZLETON -- Many people have old cell phones sitting around the house. Now there's a new way to turn those old phones into cash.
It's called Eco ATM. It’s an automated kiosk where you put in your phone and take home some money.
Now there are eco ATMs at malls in Hazleton and Stroudsburg.
Curiosity got Jenna Derenick to try the eco ATM at the Laurel Mall in Hazleton.
She is using an old iPhone 3 because her newer iPhone needs repairs, she wanted to see what that older phone was worth.
All she had to do was put the phone into the eco ATM, it scanned, then offered Jenna $47 to buy it.
“That was really cool. I actually thought it was really worth nothing because there are so many other devices out there that are upgraded, so I didn't think it was worth that much, so it was neat,” said Derenick.
There is some security to make sure you're not a thief or under 18. You have to scan your driver’s license.
Then, you place your phone in the machine and wait for the eco ATM to do its thing, figuring out what kind of phone and if it's worth anything.
Don't worry, you can get your phone back at any time if you don't want to sell.
“That's probably what they're doing, is to be more environmentally conscious so it doesn't wind up in a landfill, but as an investment I'd rather do a trade in at Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and get a trade in,” said Paul Blanner of Conyngham.
Eco ATM said it is an easy option to get you cash and keep old phones out of landfills.