Round 'em up and hand 'em in!

CFA’s Mobile Muster Campaign has now commenced.
Mobile phones are not biodegradable but over 90% of mobiles and their accessories can be recycled.

Help us round up old private or obsolete CFA mobile phones, batteries and accessories by placing them in the collection box located at CFA Headquarters Reception or your Regional Headquarters.

Note: All mobiles will be wiped clean of any residual data prior to leaving CFA.

What is a Mobile Muster?
MobileMuster is the official national recycling program of the mobile phone industry in Australia.

Initiated voluntarily by the telecommunications industry in 1999, its overall aim is to prevent mobile phones ending up in landfill.

The program collects and recycles mobile phone handsets, batteries and accessories from a network of over 2000 mobile phone retailers, local councils, government agencies and businesses drop off points across Australia.

As of 31 March 2008 over 525 tonnes of mobile phone handsets, batteries and accessories had been collected (the equivalent of more than 3 million handsets and batteries).

By the end of 2008, the goal is to treble annual collection of mobile phone handsets, batteries and accessories from 50 to 150 tonnes per annum and halve the number of handsets going to landfill.

So when it comes to old mobile phones, batteries and accessories, our message is simple: Round 'em up and hand 'em in!

What can be recycled?

• Mobile Phone Handsets
• Mobile Phone Batteries (NiCad, NiMetHyd, Lithium Ion)
• Mobile Phone Chargers
• Other Mobile Phone Accessories (hands-free headphones, plastics and paper/cardboard packaging etc)

What are they recycled into?

• Processed for Nickel - used in the production of stainless steel
• Processed for Cadmium - used in new batteries
• Processed for Cobalt - used in new batteries
• Recovers precious metals - including gold, silver, copper and lead.
• Recover Plastic - to produce composite plastic fence posts and pallets.
• Other plastics - separated into ferrous and non ferrous metals for reuse (Note: Some plastics from this process can end up in landfill as they are not pure enough for recycling.)
• All paper packaging is sent to local paper recyclers for processing.

More Information
To find out more about the recycling process or to find another collection point (Over 3,000 collection points Australia Wide), visit http://www.mobilemuster.com.au

Quick Facts
Net imports of mobile phones into Australia
7.4 million units in 2006/07 - or 1,480 tonnes*
(*assumes average unit weight of 200g, handset, battery, charger and accessory included)

Number of mobile phone subscribers
Over 21 million

How often do Australians upgrade or exchange their mobile phones?
On average every 18 to 24 months.

Estimated number of mobile phones stored in cupboards and drawers
Nearly 16 million. 32% of mobile phone users have two or more old mobiles at home. 70% have one old mobile at home

What Australians did with their previous mobile phone
Independent online market research of 650 mobile phone users revealed that:

• Nearly 80% of mobile phone users either kept or passed on their previous mobile phone
• 50% of Australians kept their previous mobile phone even if it wasn't working
• 19% gave away their previous mobile phone to either family or friends
• 7% said they were still using their previous mobile phone
• 1% traded in their previous mobile
• Less than 20% of mobile phone users discarded their previous mobile phone
• 6% recycled their previous mobile phone
• 4% threw out their previous mobile phone
• 4% of people lost or had their previous mobile phone stolen