Join the MobileMuster Schools Challenge

Help raise funds for zoos’ conservation projects and win prizes!

Registrations for the schools’ challenge have now closed. If you have already registered, please note that your collections must be booked and received at our recycling facility before the end of July.

The MobileMuster Schools Challenge encourages teachers, students, families and their local communities to recycle old and unwanted mobile phones and their accessories between March and the end of June 2022. This year there are THREE great reasons to join our schools challenge:

  1. You will raise much needed funds to protect critically endangered primates. Every mobile phone recycled during the schools’ challenge will raise money for participating zoos and their conservation projects.
  2. You can win amazing prizes for your school.
  3. You will help the environment. Recycling benefits include avoiding future greenhouse gases, saving energy and conserving and reusing natural resources.

How to participate

  • Complete the online registration form here and receive a MobileMuster collection kit which includes information about the schools challenge, a collection box, recycling satchels, instructions and promotional materials.
  • Run a muster at your school and encourage the school community to recycle their mobile phones and accessories – a tip sheet is included in your collection kit.
  • Download and use a range of promotional assets we have developed to spread the word and encourage participation. These include an A4 flyer for parents,  copy that can be tailored for newsletter, and social media tiles.
  • For curriculum-linked education resources about conservation, click here.
  • Use our education resources to increase student knowledge and understanding recycling.
  • Book in a pick up or get families to post back their satchels by the end of June 2022.
  • Collections must be received by our recycler before the end of July to be included in the challenge.

What your school could win

  • Zoo Prizes
    Each of the participating zoos (Adelaide Zoo, SA, Monarto Safari Park, SA, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, NSW (Sydney and Dubbo), Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Werribee Open Range Zoo, VIC and Sydney Zoo, Western Sydney, NSW) have generously donated a range of fantastic prizes including class excursions, family passes, special animal encounters and online classes and experiences. All you have to do is send back one eligible collection box during the competition period and you’ll have a chance to win.
  • Top Collector Prizes
    These will be awarded to the top three collecting schools in each State and Territory.
    Gold: $1,000 tech gift voucher

    Silver: $750 tech gift voucher
    Bronze: $500 tech gift voucher

For information about last year’s winners click here.

Terms and conditions apply.

Frequently asked questions

Who can participate?

All public and private early learning, preschools, primary, intermediate, special and secondary schools in Australia are invited to join the challenge.

What are the important dates?

  • The challenge will start on 1 March 2022, collections need to be booked and satchels returned by the end of June 2022, and it will close on 31 July 2022. This will allow any additional collections to be received in July.
  • Winners will be announced on 26 August 2022 via email and the MobileMuster website.
  • Prizes will be sent to recipients via email by 31 August 2022.

What are the prizes?

Each of the participating zoos have generously donated a range of fantastic prizes including class excursions, family passes, special animal encounters and online classes and experiences. 

Prizes will also be awarded to top collecting schools: 

  1. Gold: $1,000 tech gift voucher 
  2. Silver: $750 tech gift voucher 
  3. Bronze: $500 tech gift voucher 

What can you recycle? 

  • All makes and models of mobile phones
  • Mobile chargers and accessories
  • Wearables including smart watches and fitness trackers.

What are the different ways of collecting?

A MobileMuster collection box will be sent to your school when you register. The collection box should be in a secure location, such as the school office, library or classroom where they can be monitored by staff. At the end of the challenge (30 June 2022) you will need to seal the collection box and book in a free pick-up. MobileMuster will arrange a courier to pick up the collection box. 

Recycling satchels will be sent to you when you register, and they can be sent home with students. Families can fill the satchel with their old mobile phones and accessories, take them back to school or post them back to MobileMuster via Australia Post.  

Mobile Phone components received via satchels posted back to MobileMuster will be included in the total weight collected during the challenge, but will not be allocated to the total volume collected by the participating school.

How much do I have to collect?

To be eligible to win one of our prizes, schools must send in a minimum of 8kg of mobile components which include handsets, chargers, batteries, accessories and wearables.

How can you support the challenge?

Encourage the community to recycle their old mobile phones and accessories at your school. Promote the challenge in your school newsletters, on social media and in the classroom. We have comprehensive education resources for preschool, primary and high school to increase understanding of conservation, sustainability and recycling. 

What are the terms and conditions?

Read our Schools Challenge Terms and Conditions for further information on instructions and eligibility.

Teachers can use our curriculum guides, school kit and access our digital library to plan lessons and support the challenge in the classroom. We understand that learning about the importance of recycling is critical in encouraging the community to take action.

Early learning curriculum guide Website Primary curriculum guide Website Secondary curriculum guide Website
Activities

If you are already a registered school with MobileMuster, you can order one of our School Challenge Kits by emailing mobilemuster@amta.org.au

The Kit will contain your collection box, post back satchels and resources to help you run a muster at your school. 

Plan your challenge

Checklist

Go through the checklist below when planning your event.

  1. Have you registered your school for the Schools Challenge?
  2. Have you spoken to your school principal about the event?
  3. Have you set up your MobileMuster collection box in the classroom or  school office?
  4. Are you going to send out satchels to school students so that families can recycle from home?
  5. Have you set a target on how many mobile phones you would like to collect?
  6. Have you talked about the muster event at your school assembly?
  7. Have you let the community know that you are running a muster event?
  8. Have you made posters to let people know what, where and how they can recycle?
  9. Have you written an article for your school newsletter, social media or local paper?
  10. Have you motivated students to recycle?

Resources

School Poster Download Tip Sheet Download
Activities

Conduct a survey to see how many old mobile phones people are storing at home.

People are more likely to recycle if you offer them an incentive. There are a number of ways you could incentive the school community. Your school could offer house points for each mobile phone that is collected. You could have a prize or award for the student who collects the most mobile phones.

Make a short video to encourage the community to recycle. Videos are a great way to communicate. Create your video and show it at the school assembly so that all the students are excited to recycle. You could also see if it could be posted to the schools social media or digital newsletter.

Learn about recycling

Did you know?

Our digital library and book contains narrated videos, stunning images, interactive activities and detailed text to help students learn about mobile phone recycling. Once you have had a look at these resources and completed the activities test your knowledge by completing our Quiz.

Digital resources

Digital Library Website Mobile Connection Book (iOS) Download Mobile Connections Book (ePUB) Download MobileMuster Quiz Game
Activities

Make the case for change

Mobile phones are pretty incredible. They help you connect to people, places, information and goods and services across the globe. But what happens when they are upgraded or no longer work. These activities have been developed to explore the sustainability issue and cover step one in the sustainability action process. Students will access the current situation for mobile phone recycling in their school and community. They will investigate concepts and ideas relating to the issue and start thinking about what needs to change.

Assess the current situation in the school by finding out if your school is currently part of the Mobile Muster schools program or if there are MobileMuster collection points in your local community.

Investigating concepts and ideas relating to the sustainability issue. We have lots of resources to help you. View How phones are made – Oppo Factory Tour and complete the Complete the What’s In a Phone Quiz. Have a look at our video MobileMuster – What’s Inside Your Phone.

What can be done in your school and community? Conduct a survey on the number of mobile phones being stored in the school community. Ask participants why they are holding onto their old mobiles and what would motivate them to recycle.

What is the story behind my phone?

You are now ready to define the scope of action. Watch the War On Waste, Series 2, Episode 2 (iView) and discuss why it is important to recycle electronic waste and what action can be taken. These activities cover step two in the sustainability action process. They identify ideas, consider the available resources and constraints and help students to select an idea for action.

To help generate ideas watch the video MobileMuster – Extending the Life of Your Phone and A Free Trip to Agbogbloshie by Dave Hakkens. Once you have watched the videos discuss the following:

  • What you can do to extend the life of your phone? Consider repair, reuse and reselling options.
  • Why do people in developing countries risk their health and pollute the environment to disassemble and reuse electronic waste?

Explore what happens when mobile phones are recycled through the MobileMuster program. Watch the video MobileMuster – The Recycling Journey and What happens when you recycle. Identify three reasons why it is important to recycle responsibly through programs like MobileMuster. Research information about the MobileMuster program, generate ideas and explore options for making a change.

Develop proposal for action

Action plan

The next step is to develop the proposal for action. By recycling your mobile, you’ll be avoiding future greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. You’re also preventing potentially hazardous materials from entering the environment.

These activities cover step three in the sustainability action process. They prepare the proposal, work out how it will be communicated and who will be responsible.

Resources

The benefits of recycling Video Environmental calculator Website
Activities

Proposal

Develop your proposal and allocate roles and responsibilities. Questions to consider:

  • Does our planning address the original problem?
  • How does this plan support all aspects of what we are going to do?
  • How can this plan be communicated? Use the information collected in the survey to help form the communications plan.
  • How do we record our actions for communicating and reporting?
  • How will we monitor our progress and success?

Communications Plan

  • Develop the statement for action which you can communicated to the school.
  • Make sure your call to action is simple and easy to follow.
  • Identify the order of steps or actions needed to implement the plan.
  • Make sure you gain agreement on the proposal from stakeholders including the Principal.
  • Before you prepare the communications plan consider how to promote your proposed action take a look at the environmental benefits of recycling.

Calculate the environmental benefits

View the video The Benefits of Recycling Your Phone. Identify and describe the environmental benefits of recycling mobile phones. Interact with the Mobile Muster Environmental Calculator and assess environmental benefits of recycling mobile phones. Answer the questions:

  • What would be the environmental benefit of recycling in terms of global warming (C02 emissions prevented)?
  • What other measures are used in the environmental calculator?
Run a muster
Activities

Who is MobileMuster?

Visit the MobileMuster website and learn more about the program, why it was developed and who funds the program. Watch the video MobileMuster – Our Story. In groups, students select one of MobileMuster’s member organisations and research the environmental initiatives to reduce the impacts of their products on the environment.

Let’s get started

Implement the steps set out in the proposal. Use the resources provided by MobileMuster to communicate the sustainability action.

Schools that are a registered MobileMuster collection partner will be able to use their resources including posters, videos and logo to promote the action.

Monitor progress

Questions to consider:

Who is monitoring the implementation?

What further action is needed to ensure success?

Are we following the proposed steps?

How are we monitoring our progress?

How are we collecting data?

Let us do the recycling

At the end of your muster don’t forget to book in a free pick up so that all of the mobile phones you have collected and be recycling. If you are a registered site you can book in a free pick-up by calling us on 1800 249 113 or book online.

Don’t forget to celebrate your achievement. You can use our environmental calculator to work out the environmental benefit of your recycling and print off a certificate. Recycling efforts — big and small have a lasting, positive effect on our environment.

Resources

Book in a pick up Website Environmental calculator Game
Activities

Reflecting

Change starts with education. Spreading awareness and taking action in order to make a difference can be achieved in a number of ways. You are now ready to evaluate the sustainability action process and working out how we can create a sustainable mobile future.

These activities cover step five in the sustainability action process. They cover the evaluation of the sustainable action and reflect on the learning process.

How to evaluate

To evaluate the sustainability action consider the following questions:

  • Did we achieve our goals?
  • Were there any unexpected issues?
  • What were the strengths and weaknesses of our plan?
  • How could you improve the action process for next time?
  • What further action might we take?

What did we learn

Identify what learning resulted from the action process. If the sustainability action involved a MobileMuster collection event use the Environmental Calculator to measure the environmental impact of the action.

Identify what you would do differently next time and possible future directions. Present the evaluation to the school and community. You could create a documentary that describes the sustainability action and the impact.