Did you know that over 90 per cent of the materials found in mobile phones and accessories is recovered and used to make new items like jewellery, stainless steel products and plastic fence posts?
You can help conserve natural resources, avoid greenhouse gas emissions and protect our environment from potentially harmful materials by taking part in the annual MobileMuster during Keep Australia Beautiful Week 25-31 August.
City of Ryde Mayor, Clr Ivan Petch, says the council is proud to support Keep Australia Beautiful Week and is putting out a challenge to all residents to empty their homes and work drawers of old or broken mobile phones, batteries, chargers and accessories and hand them into their nearest MobileMuster drop-off point.
“With Australians upgrading their mobile phones every 18 to 24 months, the number of old mobile phones will inevitably increase and it is important that as a community, we take a proactive approach and recycle all old handsets. Saving our environment starts at home,” the Mayor said.
There is an estimated 16 million mobile phones stored in homes and office, of which at least four million are no longer used and ready to be recycled now.
All the mobile phones collected by MobileMuster are taken to e-waste specialist recycler, MRI, where they are sorted and separated into their various parts.
MobileMuster drop-off points are located at the Council’s Civic Centre and five libraries. For more information visit www.ryde.nsw.gov.au
Alternatively you can pick up a free reply paid recycling satchel from participating Australia Post outlets or download a mailing label from the MobileMuster website. For further information about MobileMuster, recycling mobile phones, batteries, accessories and chargers or to download a free post mailing label visit www.mobilemuster.com.au or call 1300 730 070
Fact Sheet Attached
MOBILE RECYCLING FACTS
- Key mobile phone recycling facts (figures current at 30 June 2008)
- There are over 21 million mobile phone subscribers
- Australians upgrade or exchange their mobile phones every 18 to 24 months
- 80% of people choose to keep or give away their old mobile phones, less than 4% throw them out
- Net imports of mobile phones into Australia for 2007/08 were 8.8 million units. This is equivalent to 1,763 tonnes (assuming average unit weight of 200g – handset, battery, charger and accessory included
- In 2007/2008 MobileMuster collected 97 tonnes of mobile phone components including 788,600 handsets and batteries
- One tonne of mobile phone circuits can yield the same amount of precious metals as 110 tonnes of gold ore, 123 tonnes of silver bearing ore and 11 tonnes of copper sulphide ore
- Mobile phones are not biodegradable and contain small amounts of potentially harmful substances which if not managed properly may harm the environment
- MobileMuster is a whole of industry not for profit program that is funded voluntarily by handset and accessory manufacturers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Sharp, NEC, Panasonic, I-Mate, Force Technology and network carriers Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, 3 Mobile, Virgin Mobile and AAPT
Media contact: Lee Kirkland 9952 8083
