If you’ve got old cell phone hidden away in a drawer at your house, there’s a better use for it than collecting dust.

As the Fourth of July approaches, AT&T is encouraging Pittsburgh area residents to recycle their old cell phones to help support U.S. military troops serving overseas.

Wireless customers are asked to dig out those old cell phones and drop them off at the AT&T store located inside the Ross Park Mall or at the store location on Route 19 in Cranberry.

Before donating any devices, people should first remove any SIM card, erase their data and restore their device to factory settings, according to AT&T.

The phones will be donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers—a charity that uses recycling proceeds to buy and send free phone cards to military members stationed away from home.

AT&T has supported Cell Phones for Soldiers since July 2007. In the last six years, the company has donated more than $4 million and distributed more than 600,000 AT&T prepaid calling cards to servicemen and women overseas.

For more information, visit www.att.com/troopsupport or www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.