In an effort to combat mobile phone waste, Bundaberg Regional Council is urging residents to join a nationwide challenge to recycle old and unused phones during the month of March.
The Go For Zero campaign by MobileMuster aims to create a more sustainable environment by ensuring that all the components of a mobile phone can be recovered and reused.
It comes as the organisation identified that there were over five million disused phones in Australian households that are broken or no longer working.
Council's Waste and Recycling portfolio spokesperson Cr Tanya McLoughlin advised the initiative was ramping up and locals are encouraged to get involved.
“Recycling your mobile phone through MobileMuster today will be helping reduce the impact on the environment tomorrow,” she said.
“Rather than letting your old phones collect dust around the house, MobileMuster will utilise every component, keeping these items out of landfill and protecting our planet.
“This is a great initiative in recycling as well as reaping the benefits of having a spring clean at home.”
“Now is the time to search through the bottom drawer and backs of cupboards for your old phones that are just sitting in the dark waiting to be recycled,” she said.
Cr McLoughlin said becoming involved in the MobileMuster initiative was as easy as dropping off old phones to a local collection point.
“In the Bundaberg Region we have collection points at all Council Waste Facilities, Officeworks, Telstra and Optus stores. All makes and models of mobile phones and accessories are accepted.”
Cr McLoughlin said there were also other ways to recycle old mobile phones.
“We can encourage people to extend the life of their phone by selling, undertaking repairs or reusing phones within the family,” she said.
“The more phones that can be reused means less mobile phone waste in landfill!”
HOW DOES MOBILE PHONE RECYCLING WORK?
When MobileMuster receives your old phone it is dismantled and the components processed to maximize recovery rates.
All the metal, glass and plastic that has gone into making your mobile phone has the potential for a second life.
The program recovers over 95% of the material from old phones and accessories, which are then used to manufacture new products.
This process reduces the impact of mobile phones on the environment by avoiding future greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy and conserving our natural resources.
You can find out more about mobile phone recycling, MobileMuster and the Go For Zero initiative here.
