WYNNE GETS BEHIND MOBILEMUSTER
Recycling your old mobile phone is now easier, with State Member for Richmond Richard Wynne joining MobileMuster, the official recycling program of the mobile phone industry.
A collection point has been established in Richard Wynne’s office at 112 Smith Street Collingwood and local residents are encouraged to clean out their drawers of old and unwanted mobile phones including their batteries, chargers and accessories.
“This is a great initiative and by being involved we hope to help boost recycling levels,” Mr Wynne said. “We are calling on all local residents to round up their old and unused mobiles and hand them in for recycling at my office.”
MobileMuster is a free service that is funded voluntarily by the majority of mobile phone handset manufactures and all mobile phone network carriers.
“Over 90% of the plastics and metals in old mobile handsets are recovered by MobileMuster and used to make plastic fence posts locally here in Australia or jewellery and stainless steel products overseas”, says Rose Read, Manager, Recycling with the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.
“Mobile phones, batteries, chargers and accessories are not biodegradable and should not be thrown in the rubbish as they could potentially harm our local environment if they end up in landfill”.
Key mobile recycling facts:
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 2% throw them out In 2007/2008 MobileMuster collected 97 tonnes of mobile phone components including 752,200 handsets and batteries 582 tonnes of handsets, batteries, chargers and accessories have been collected since the recycling program was initiated by AMTA in 1999. This includes 4.01 million batteries...