MobileMuster’s Helen Maisano speaks with Rohan Pearce at Commsday

MobileMuster head flags broader role in reuse and digital inclusion MobileMuster could broaden both its industry membership and its role in digital inclusion following its move under the Australian Telecommunications Alliance, according to program head Helen Maisano. Maisano told CommsDay the merger of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association into ATA had created scope to bring more telecommunications companies into the industry recycling initiative. She also sees an opportunity for MobileMuster to expand beyond recycling into device reuse and refurbishment.

“I think the merger, if anything, probably has opened up opportunities to engage broader companies that are part of the telecommunications industry,” she said.

Maisano joined AMTA in May as head of sustainability and social impact, a role that included responsibility for MobileMuster. She now holds the same position at ATA following the organisations’ July merger. MobileMuster already collects more than mobile phones, chargers and accessories. Selected Optus and Vodafone stores accept equipment including modems, landline phones, streaming devices, smart speakers and home digital hubs.

PROGRAM REVIEW: Maisano said one of her priorities since joining had been to launch a major review of MobileMuster and its future direction.

“I think that even if we hadn’t gone through the merger with the ATA, a program review was due,” she said. “That’s because we are seeing changes in the market. We’re seeing that people are keeping their phones for longer, they’re passing them down or they’re trading them in.”

The market has changed significantly since MobileMuster was established 28 years ago, with a wider range of recycling organisations and commercial trade-in programs now operating.

Maisano said digital inclusion had also become a bigger priority for governments and telecommunications companies. Recycling remains important, but she described it as “the lowest order of things” in product stewardship and circularity. It is “what you do when the product has really got no more life in it and it can’t be used, so you want to go down the responsible recycling pathway,” she said.
Maisano pointed to an estimated 22 million unused devices sitting in Australian drawers, some of which could potentially be refurbished and provided to people who lack access to suitable devices.

“So I think there’s merit in the whole reuse and refurbishment,” she said, while stressing MobileMuster did not want to cannibalise existing telco trade-in programs. “But there is merit in looking at how can MobileMuster play a role in … reuse, because we know people are hanging onto their phones. They might be just keeping them in their drawer and if we can say to them: ‘Look, we’re going to ensure that your phone is fully wiped and refurbished and given to someone in need,’ I think the public would respond quite well to that.”

The program review will examine the needs of Mobile Muster members and whether its remit should extend beyond recycling. “Does it stay just in recycling or does it expand into reuse? … We exist because of our members and we’ve got to deliver a program that meets our members’ needs,” Maisano said.

“Digital inclusion is a big focus for a lot of our member companies. How do we play a role in coordinating that or facilitating that on behalf of the industry? “When you look at the industry coming together and working on that, it’s much more powerful and impactful than doing it on your own.” An external consultant will support the review.

MobileMuster members include Optus, TPG Telecom, handset manufacturers, accessory manufacturer and distributor Force Technology and router maker TP-Link.

ZOOS PARTNERSHIP: MobileMuster will launch its latest “They’re Calling On You” campaign with participating zoos on 31 August, with $1 from every phone donated during September going towards endangered primate conservation. Funding will support projects including the Jane Goodall Institute Australia and Gorilla Doctors. “Last year about 20,000 phones were donated nationally,” Maisano said. “We really want to exceed that. We would love to collect 50,000 phones. That would be amazing. So not only will it be a great environmental benefit and clear out people’s drawers, but also it’ll make a difference to some of these conservation projects.”

For more information contact mobilemuster@amta.org.au