PAID RECYCLING
Phone Recycling Montreal — Why Recycle When You Can Get Paid?
Before dropping your phone for free recycling, check its value. SubSell pays for most devices, even broken.
Open every day, 9 AM–9 PM Same address since 2017 Free recycling 1700+ Google reviews
Free recycling vs paid resale in Montreal
| Feature | SubSell | ARPE / écocentre drop-off |
|---|---|---|
| Pays you for your phone | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cash on the spot | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free recycling if it has no value | ✓ | ✓ |
| No appointment needed | ✓ | ✓ |
Which devices still have value?
You might be surprised. Many devices you think are "too old" or "too broken" still hold substantial resale value:
- • iPhone X and newer — always paid for, even broken
- • iPhone 8 / 8 Plus — always bought, priced after the free check
- • Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer — always paid for
- • iPad Pro / Air / mini — priced after a free 5-minute evaluation
- • MacBook Pro/Air 2018+ — priced after a free 5-minute evaluation
- • Apple Watch Series 5 and newer — priced after a free 5-minute evaluation
- • PS4, Xbox One and newer — always bought
If unsure, bring it in for a free evaluation. If it truly has no value, recycling is free. You lose nothing.
To save yourself a wasted trip, describe the device before you come in: an Apple Watch has its own evaluation page, and everything else — Pixel, Android tablet, old Samsung, console — goes through the other device request. We tell you whether it still has resale value or goes straight to free recycling.
100% free recycling for non-resellable devices
For very old iPhones (iPhone 7 and older), feature phones, broken dongles, or completely destroyed devices, SubSell offers free recycling. No fees, ever. The goal: keep these devices out of the trash. They go only to recyclers compliant with Quebec environmental standards (ARPE-Québec, Recyc-Québec), with their storage destroyed.
SubSell environmental commitment
A device that can still be used should not end up in a shredder. At SubSell, every device brought into the shop is assessed for resale first: if it works, or can be restored to working condition, it is inspected, prepared and resold with a warranty of up to 2 years depending on the model. Only when a device truly cannot be used again does it go to the free recycling described above, with its storage destroyed. Since 2017, the shop has completed over 50,000 transactions. Learn more about our commitment →
Secure data deletion
Before any resale, every device is erased with professional data-erasure software; nobody looks at your data. For non-resellable devices sent to recycling, the storage is physically destroyed by our partners. Businesses get a data-destruction certificate on request.
For businesses and organizations
Bulk trade-in program for fleets of business devices (10+ units): a free evaluation, a data-destruction certificate on request, a report on request (number of devices taken back, put back into circulation and handed to compliant recycling). Ideal for businesses with ESG commitments. Contact us at 438-258-7895.
Our environmental commitment
Since 2017, more than 50,000 transactions at the shop. Selling or trading instead of throwing away keeps a phone in use: every device we buy back goes back into use first, and is recycled only once it can no longer be used. Devices too damaged or too old to resell are taken back free of charge, no recycling fee, and handed only to recyclers compliant with Quebec environmental standards (ARPE-Québec). Before any resale, your data is erased with professional software; a device that is recycled has its storage destroyed.
Before you come in
Frequently asked questions — Paid phone recycling
Why recycle when I can get paid?
If your phone still works, or can be restored to working condition, it has resale value. Rather than dropping it off for free recycling (at ARPE or écocentre), bring it to SubSell: we pay up to $1,950 for a sealed iPhone 17 Pro Max, and even a broken device gets its offer after the free check. Carrier trade-ins (Bell, Rogers, Telus, Vidéotron) generally pay as bill or device credit; SubSell pays money. Free recycling remains available for devices truly without resale value.
Which devices truly have no value?
iPhone 7 and older, old Android phones (5+ years with broken screen and dead battery), feature phones, broken dongles. For those, we offer free recycling, no questions.
Is my data really erased?
Yes. Every device we resell is erased with professional data-erasure software before resale, and nobody looks at your data. For recycled devices, the storage is physically destroyed by our recycling partners.
Do you work with certified recyclers?
We are committed to working only with recyclers compliant with Quebec environmental standards (ARPE-Québec, Recyc-Québec), and devices sent to recycling have their storage destroyed.
Are there hidden fees for recycling?
None. Recycling is 100% free, regardless of device condition. No evaluation fee, no handling fee. Drop in and leave without paying.
Trade-in for businesses or organizations?
Yes: for fleets of business devices (10+ units), we offer bulk trade-in, with a data-destruction certificate and a report on request (devices taken back, put back into circulation, handed to compliant recycling). Call us at 438-258-7895 for a custom quote.
Straight answers
Questions people ask before selling
- Which is the best place to sell old phones?
For old phones, the best place is a shop that buys older and broken models and takes the rest back for free: ads for old phones mostly attract lowball offers. SubSell buys every iPhone from the iPhone X on, Samsung Galaxy phones and Google Pixels, pays cash on the spot, and recycles what cannot be resold, free of charge.
- How do I remove everything from an old phone?
Sign out of every account first, then erase the phone with its built-in reset (Erase All Content and Settings on an iPhone, factory data reset on Android), take out the SIM and memory card, and remove the phone from your Apple or Google account online. Your cloud copies stay safe. At SubSell, every phone is also wiped with professional erasure software before resale.
- Is it worth selling your old phone?
Usually yes. A phone loses value every year it sits in a drawer, and an old phone still holding your data is a risk. Keep it only if you will really use it, as a backup or a child’s first phone. Otherwise sell it while it is worth something; if it is too old to sell, it is taken back for free.
A question?
Call or write: the shop answers within the hour, 9 AM to 9 PM, in French or English.
Free recycling or cash payment. Your choice.
757 Rue Beaubien East, Montréal • Mon-Sun 9 AM-9 PM • Walk-ins welcome