Mobile phones
More information
Around 85 percent of Australians own mobile phones, totalling 17.5 million phones currently in use, with approximately another 12 million stored for ‘a rainy day’.
Mobile phones are not biodegradable but over 90 percent of the plastics and metals used in mobile phones, batteries and accessories can be recycled to create new products.
All mobiles contain potentially harmful materials including arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. These materials pose no threat to users when the phones are operational; it is only when they are incorrectly disposed of that problems arise.
There are numerous organisations throughout Australia who run mobile phone recycling programs (such as the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland), which also helps many third world countries improve their telecommunication resources by donating functional handsets.
Getting the most out of your mobile phone
- Ask yourself if you really need a new phone. Consider how much you would use the extra features in a new mobile phone.
- If parts of your phone are ailing – such as the battery life – consider replacing the battery rather than buying a new phone. It’s a lot cheaper and creates less waste.
- When looking to buy a new phone, ask friends and retailers which brands have the best reputation and reliability. This way you can get the best value for money by buying the product best suited to your needs.
How to recycle your mobile phones
There are several ways you can recycle your mobile phone:
- Pass-on your old phones to relatives or friends who can use it – this is the best way to recycle as it extends the life of the technology and puts less strain on resources.
- There are several organisations who look after mobile phone recycling, ensuring they don’t end up as land fill. Organisations that coordinate mobile recycling include MobileMuster and Cerebral Palsy League.
