MobileMuster urges Australians to recycle 13 million old phones

MobileMuster has launched a new campaign to encourage Australians to recycle the nearly 13 million unused mobile phones currently sitting in households across the country.

Research conducted by MobileMuster reveals that just over one in three Australians hold onto at least one non-working mobile at home. Despite the growing number of unused devices, awareness of how and why to recycle old phones remains low for many people.

Through the "However It Dies" campaign, MobileMuster is drawing attention to the diverse fates of mobile phones - whether dropped in water, damaged in the washing machine, or broken out on the dancefloor - and reminding people that each device still has value, even after it stops working.

A key detail from MobileMuster's findings is that 95.8% of materials found in a typical mobile phone - including precious metals and plastics - can be recovered and repurposed. This recovery keeps valuable resources in the circular economy and reduces the volume of waste sent to landfill.

Interactive installations

To illustrate the campaign's message, three interactive installations have been unveiled in busy locations across Sydney. Each installation visually represents a typical 'phone death' scenario. Scenes include a brightly lit ocean environment with a cracked phone lodged in a clam shell, a washing machine with a lone sock alluding to household mishaps, and a disco scene showing sparkling boots trampling a collection of old mobiles beneath shimmering lights.

David Robb, Head of Operations at AMTA / MobileMuster, said: "Almost 13 million mobiles are sitting idle in homes across Australia. Whether it's cracked, drowned, or run over in the driveway it can still be put to work again through recycling. We've all got at least one 'phone death' story. The 'However It Dies' campaign turns those mishaps into a moment to act. The installations aren't just memorable - they're a reminder that spring cleaning isn't complete until your old tech is dealt with the right way."

The installations aim to make the message highly visible and relatable, using commonly shared phone mishaps to prompt people to consider recycling any unused mobiles during routine clear-outs.

Recycling options

Australians looking to recycle their old devices can access more than 3,500 drop-off points nation-wide, including major telecommunications providers Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, as well as local councils and participating retailers. For those unable to visit a collection site in person, reply post labels and free mailing satchels are available from various outlets or can be ordered online to facilitate easy returns by mail.

Since its inception in 1998, MobileMuster has collected and recycled over 16 million handsets. The programme remains dedicated to ensuring that finite resources are kept out of landfill and reintroduced into the production cycle for new goods.

Key statistics

According to MobileMuster:

• 12.7 million unused phones are stored in Australian homes.
• 34% of Australians have at least one broken or unused mobile phone in storage.
• 95.8% of phone materials can be recovered and reused.
• Over 16 million handsets have been collected and recycled since 1998.

The new campaign and associated installations are designed to prompt Australians to incorporate mobile phone recycling into their spring cleaning routines and to increase overall awareness of recycling options available for electronic devices.