Recycle your old Mobile Phones

Old phones create salient solution

MobileMuster and Landcare Australia launch ‘Old Phones, More Trees’ to help address rising salinity levels

WA residents are being urged to recycle their old mobile phones to help tackle the growing problem of salinity in the State’s central eastern wheatbelt. For every phone recycled between 1 May and World Environment Day on 5 June 2010, a Mallee tree will be planted in the Wallatin or O’Brien catchments.

MobileMuster has again partnered with Landcare Australia to run its ‘Old Phones, More Trees’ campaign. For every kilogram of mobiles sent in for recycling, a tree will be planted in one of four sites across Australia, including the Wallatin and O’Brien catchments located in the Kellerberrin Shire.

“We hope to plant as many as 7,500 Mallee trees in WA and 30,000 nation-wide. To meet these targets, 30,000 kilograms of mobiles must be collected for recycling before World Environment Day on 5 June,” says Rose Read, manager recycling with MobileMuster.

The two WA catchments are critical in tackling the threat of salinity, brought on by the rising water table. At least one million hectares of Australia’s most productive grain-growing region has been damaged through salinity, along with the loss of hundreds of rare plant and animal species. 

“The eastern wheatbelt supplies approximately 65 per cent of the grain to West Australians and Australia,” says Heather Campbell, CEO of Landcare Australia.

“By recycling old mobile phones, those living in cities and towns from Perth to Port Hedland can have a positive impact on the health and security of one of their most important grain growing and cattle raising areas in WA,” says Ms Campbell.

Recyclers will also help the environment through the recovery and reuse of materials in their mobiles.

Mobile phones are not biodegradable, but they 90 per cent recyclable. According to the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, there are an estimated 16 million mobile phones lying unused or broken in drawers across Australia that could be recycled.     

“Over the last four years, ‘Old Phones, More Trees’ has diverted 90,000 kilograms of mobile phones and accessories from landfill, and planted over 200,000 trees in key projects across Australia.

“We know that seven out of 10 Australians have at least one mobile phone that could be recycled and are setting the bar high for this year’s collection,” says Ms Read.

The Wallatin and O’Brien catchments of the Kellerberrin Shire are supported by Wallatin Wildlife and Landcare Group who aim to tackle the loss of biodiversity, declining water quality, salinity and soil productivity.

‘Old Phones, More Trees’ will run from 1 May until World Environment Day on 5 June 2010.

All mobile phones collected by MobileMuster during this period will count towards supplying trees for the Wallatin and O’Brien catchments (West Australia), Myola Basin (Far North Queensland) and Lower Lakes and Barmah-Millewa Forest (The Murray River). 

Recycling an old mobile phone is free and easy, simply:
1.                  Drop them off at your mobile phone retailer / local collection point - to find out where go to www.mobilemuster.com.au or call 1300 730 070
2.                  Post them in by picking up a free MobileMuster recycling satchel from Australia Post
3.                  Post them in by printing off a reply paid mailing label from www.mobilemuster.com.au