About us
Who we are
MobileMuster is the product stewardship program of the mobile phone industry and is accredited by the federal government. It is voluntarily funded by all of the major handset manufacturers and network carriers to provide a free mobile phone recycling program in Australia to the highest environmental standard. The program is committed to raising awareness and educating the community on why it is important to recycle.
The program accepts all brands and types of mobile phones, plus their batteries, chargers and accessories. Our extensive collection network provides 3,500 public drop off points across the country along with a free post back option.
MobileMuster is managed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) on behalf of our members. Handset manufacturers (Alcatel, Apple, HMD Global, HTC, Huawei, Google, Motorola, Oppo, Samsung, Vigo Mobile Australia, ZTE) Network carriers (Optus, Telstra, Vodafone)
MobileMuster celebrates 21 Years
MobileMuster has celebrated 21 years of positively impacting the environment. Since 1998, the program has collected and recycled nearly 1,500 tonnes of mobiles and accessories, comparable to the weight of 250 African elephants, including over 14 million handsets and batteries.
Significant progress has been made around educating consumers on the value in reuse, repair and recycling of mobile phones, with one in three Australians having recycled a mobile phone.
Government accreditation
MobileMuster gained accreditation in 2014 under the Product Stewardship Act 2011 which provides a framework to effectively address the environmental, health and safety impacts of a product or material across its full life cycle, from manufacture to disposal.
The mobile phone industry is constantly working to reduce the environmental and human health impacts of their products, across their entire lifecycles. This includes:
- Improving how efficiently resources are used in the production of mobile phones
- Ensuring that mobiles collected are recycled to the highest environmental standards
- Minimising waste in the manufacture, production, use and disposal of mobiles and accessories
- Reducing risk to human health through better management of product manufacturing and disposal (e.g. ensuring safe work environments)
Industry initiatives
The mobile phone industry is committed to reducing our environmental footprint. The industry takes responsibility for their products throughout their lifecycle. They are improving the environmental impact of mobile technology through increased material efficiency and the use of recycled materials in the production of mobile phones coming to market. The industry is also improving the energy efficiency of its products and networks.
For more information and inspiration on how our members are approaching their commitment visit their websites below.
Alcatel – Apple – Google – HMD Global – HTC – Huawei – Motorola – OPPO – Samsung – Vigo Mobile Australia – ZTE – Optus – Telstra – Vodafone
Research & reports
The growing amount of e-waste is a worldwide challenge as valuable and scarce resources are going to waste. According to the United Nations all the countries in the world combined generated a staggering 44.7 million tonnes or an equivalent of 6.1 kilogram per inhabitant of e-waste annually. Only 20% of e-waste is reported to be collected and recycled globally. Read more United Nations, Global E-Waste Monitor (2017) In Australia we have programs like MobileMuster to ensure that mobile phones and accessories are recycled the right way.
What Australians do with their unused mobiles?
Research shows that consumers are holding on to their mobile phones for longer with over half the population using their mobile phone for two years or more. It is estimated that one in five Australians sell, trade-in or give their old mobiles to family or friends. However, there are approximately 25 million unused mobile phones being stored in Australian homes. Of those 5 million are broken and no longer working.
Annual Reports
The industry has invested almost $48 million into the program which has recycled over 14 million handsets and batteries since it was established in 1998. In 2019 the program collected and recycled 84.1 tonnes of mobile phone components which equates to 1.12 million handsets and batteries. Take a look at our latest Annual Report for more information on the MobileMuster program and the environmental benefits it delivers.
