Out of the junk drawer and into recycling

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is currently growing at three times the rate of general waste in Australia. There are millions of mobile phones lying in our homes that are no longer being used or working.

Australia has more old phones stored away than there are people in the country – that equates to two for every household, and that figure is rising. By 2028, MobileMuster predicts that Australians will be holding onto nearly 30 million old mobile phones.

The War on Waste highlighted the rapid growth of e-waste in Australia and how more needs to be done to address the issue. Off the back of the show, MobileMuster is calling on Australians to join the war on waste by taking their phones out of storage and into recycling.

Spyro Kalos, Manager, MobileMuster, says: “Most of us know that we shouldn’t throw our phones in the bin. But many of us still hang on to them, just in case they’re needed – often they’re never used again and sit forgotten in a drawer.”

Research shows that three in four Australians are aware that they can recycle their old phones, and Mobile Muster is committed to doing more to educate people on how they can recycle responsibly through its program.

To date, we’ve recycled over 1,300 tonnes of mobile phones and accessories, including 13 million handsets and batteries.

“We know that recycling can be confusing sometimes, so we cut through that by providing a free and simple way for people to easily recycle their mobile phones. To date, we’ve recycled over 1,300 tonnes of mobile phones and accessories, including 13 million handsets and batteries. But there is always more to do.

“With millions of phones lying dormant at home, the e-waste problem is getting bigger and we all need to be talking about it more. Mobile phones can and should be recycled when they reach the end of their lives. We can all do our part to fight the war on waste, and it starts at home. That’s why we’re calling all Australians to find their old phones and recycle them the right way – today,” says Mr Kalos.