ABOUT MOBILEMUSTER

What is MobileMuster?

MobileMuster is the Australian mobile phone industry's official product stewardship program. It's a free mobile phone recycling program that accepts all brands and types of mobile phones, plus their batteries, chargers and accessories. Basically, it's the industry's way of ensuring mobile phone products don't end up in landfill - but instead are recycled in a safe, secure and ethical way.

So why is this important? Well, over 90% of the materials used in a mobile are recyclable and can be reused, avoiding future greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, protecting our environment and conserving scarce natural resources.

Mobile phone components should also never be thrown in the rubbish, where they can end up in landfill. For one thing they're not biodegradable, so they won't break down. On top of that, mobiles contain some substances that can potentially harm the environment if not disposed of correctly.

At MobileMuster, we aim to make sure mobiles are handled properly at the end of their useful lives. Our mission is simple. We promise to keep mobile phones out of landfill. All we are asking you to do is to promise to recycle them.

How to recycle

MobileMuster works with partners like mobile phone retailers, local councils and Australia Post to collect phones from the general public. We encourage people to return their old phones, either by dropping them off, or posting them to us. Either way, it's free for consumers, schools, businesses, councils and government agencies.

Each and every mobile we receive is dismantled and recycled, and any data left on the handset is destroyed through the recycling process.

What to recycle

The team behind MobileMuster

MobileMuster is a not-for-profit program, voluntarily funded by industry groups including:

• Handset manufacturers (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung Electronics,  LG Electronics, HTC, Huawei, ZTE)
• Network carriers (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone)
• Service providers (Virgin Mobile)
• Distributors (Force Technology)

MobileMuster is managed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) on behalf of these members.

What makes MobileMuster different?

It is the only recycling program that is:

• Funded and managed by the industry
• Endorsed by mobile phone manufacturers and network carriers
• Not-for-profit
• Dedicated to keeping old mobiles out of landfill

MobileMuster accepts all brands of mobile phones, including their batteries, chargers and accessories. All components are recycled locally or in developed countries overseas - and none are sold for reuse or exported to developing countries.

At MobileMuster we also report annually on our collections and recycling processes, which are audited by an independent third party.