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Payphones might be outmoded, but they're not useless. People across the world have found ways to repurpose them, building pop-up libraries and Wi-Fi hotspots in New York, surreal goldfish aquariums in Osaka, and now free cell phone charging stations in London.

The first "Solarbox" debuted at Tottenham Court Road in October, and since then the battery-juicing apparatus has had an incredible run. As many as 80 people a day plugged into the box (which, as its name implies, is fueled by the sun). They did this without spending a pound, thanks to advertising that's split 70 percent for companies and 30 percent for community purposes like art and music shows. The "Solarbox" snagged a runner-up position in last year's Mayor's Low Carbon Entrepreneur contest, and now there are plans to plant 10 more around the city by the end of 2015.