O2 wants your old smartphones and they could be worth far more than you think

If you have a load of old gadgets shoved in a drawer, it could be time to dust them off and think about trading them in. There are plenty of firms that will take ageing tech off your hands, and getting rid of those devices could leave your bank balance looking a little healthier. In fact, according to new data from Virgin Media O2, Brits could cash in and make up to £541 for their unwanted devices.

The company says it has just revamped its O2 Recycle scheme, in a bid to make it easier for people to recycle their unused gadgets.

Products that can be traded in include smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, MacBooks and consoles. The service, which is available to non O2 users as well, lets you send up to 5 devices to be refurbished, repaired and resold, or recycled.

There's even free postage, so it won't cost a penny to hand things over.

Here are some of the prices you could get for old tech

• Smartphones - £148

• Wearables / smartwatches - £78

• Tablets - £112

• Earbuds - £46

• Consoles - £34

• MacBooks - £78

"We know many Brits are worried about how they'll afford the cost of Christmas, but they could be sitting on a treasure trove of unused tech that could make them extra cash in time for the festive season," Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, explained.

"With our revamped O2 Recycle service, we've made it easier than ever to trade in unwanted gadgets so they can be given a second life, while giving Brits a cashback boost or credit towards a new device.

"With more than four million devices recycled, Virgin Media O2 is proud to lead the way in tackling e-waste and driving device reuse across the UK."

As we mentioned earlier, it's always a good idea to shop around and check out other trade-in sites such as MusicMagpie, Backmarket, Mazuma and Compare and Recycle. Tech firms such as Apple and Samsung will also give you money off something new when handing over older devices.

No matter who you choose, remember that old tech is worth money so don't leave things lying around if you no longer use it.