Friday, 6 August 2010

A strong community response to MobileMuster’s “Old Phones More Trees” campaign will result in a further 21,760 trees being planted through Landcare Australia, increasing the total number of trees planted by MobileMuster to just over 225,000. 

Schools, businesses and retailers responded well to MobileMuster and Landcare Australia’s call to help plant more trees in May and June by handing in 21,760 kilograms of mobile phone handsets,  batteries, chargers and accessories. The collection included more than 87,000 handsets, which was an excellent result, said Rose Read, Manager, Recycling, with the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA).

 “This means 21,760 kg of mobile phones won’t end up in landfill, but instead will be recycled and over 90% of all the plastics and metals in them will be recovered and put to good use in making stainless steel, plastic fence posts, jewellery and batteries,” she said.

 It also means that over 5,500 trees will be planted in each of the following sites: the Myola Basin in Far North Queensland; the Barmah Millewah Forests on the Murray River in Victoria; the Lower Lakes at the mouth of the Murray River in SA; and the wheatbelt of Western Australia.

 Ms Read said: “This work will help restore degraded tropical rainforests which are home to endangered species, such as the Southern Cassowary and the Myola Basin Tree Frog, increase foraging habitats for the Superb Parrot in the majestic River Red Gums on the Murray, maintain and improve biodiversity of the Lower Lakes , home to many water birds and held stem the tide of dryland salinity in Western Australia’s wheatbelt.”

 Due to the success of the campaign, MobileMuster and Landcare Australia have decided to extend the Old Phones More Trees campaign until the end of October. A tree will be planted along the Australian coastline for every kilogram of mobiles sent in for recycling.