Over 95% of the materials in mobile phones can be recovered and used to make new products. This reduces the demand on natural resources and environmental contamination from landfill.
Mobile Phones
Mobile Phones includes:
Android & iPhones Mobile Phone Accessories Mobile Phone Batteries Phone Handsets Smartphonesmaterial
Mobile Phones
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Why Recycle
Mobile phones contain commercially valuable materials such as gold, silver, copper, nickel and plastics. They also contain some materials that would be hazardous to the environment if put into landfill, such as cadmium. Recycling unwanted mobile phones keeps these hazardous materials out of the environment and also reduces the need to extract more of our natural resources. Mobile phone recycling is a free national service, and in some cases can also raise funds for charitable organisations.
Recycling Options
Some recycling companies offer collection and drop-off services for commercial quantities of mobile phones.
MobileMuster (the official recycling program of the mobile phone industry in Australia) offers a one-off pick-up service for businesses across the country, accepting all brands of mobile phones, their charges and accessories, smart watches, VR headsets, and mobile broadband devices. To book a one-off collection, contact MobileMuster at mobilemuster@amta.org.au or call 1800 249 113.
MobileMuster is not-for-profit program, funded solely by its members who pay a levy on every handset imported into Australia. Workplaces can register for a collection bin.
There are also a number of organisations that run mobile phone recycling programs to help raise money for various charities. Mobile phones and their accessories are accepted.
What Happens When It's Recycled?
Unwanted mobile phones are recycled by separating them into components for resource recovery.
- Nickel is recovered from phone batteries for stainless steel production. Cobalt and cadmium from the batteries are reused to make new batteries.
- Circuit boards include small amounts of gold and silver that are reused in jewellery and other applications.
- Handset housings and casings include plastics that are shredded and used to make fence posts and pallets.
- Accessories contain plastics and metals that are shredded, sorted and then used to make new plastic or metal products.
The plastics are processed in Australia while the batteries and mobile phone circuits are processed offshore. When the components are extracted they are sold by recyclers to manufacturers for use as raw materials in the production of new products.
More Info & Sources
For infomation on how to recycle household quantities of mobiles, visit Recycling Near You.
