Bradley Marsh from Reynella Primary School, South Australia has been crowned Australia’s mobile
phone recycling Champion after handing in 850 mobile phone handsets, the single largest collection in
the 2009 MobileMuster ‘Old Phones, New Fence Posts’ Schools Recycling Challenge.
The Challenge created by the official recycling program of the mobile phone industry, MobileMuster,
encouraged students to round up and recycle old and unused mobile phones lying around at home.
For every 5kg of old mobiles handed in for recycling by schools from 1 May and until World
Environment Day – June 5, MobileMuster and Australia Composite Technology (ACT) pledged to
donate 1 Plasmar plastic fence post to communities affected by the Victorian bushfires.
Rose Read, Manager of the Australian Mobile Telecommunication Association’s (AMTA), mobile
phone recycling program, MobileMuster, said Bradley Marsh rounded up 850 mobile phone handsets,
roughly 70kg in weight and four times the collection amount of the runner up. Bradley has enabled 232
fence posts to be erected in the areas destroyed by the bush fires.
“We congratulate Bradley for his phenomenal recycling effort. It is wonderful to see students such as
Bradley working together with their teachers and families to help the environment as well as local
farmers and schools whose properties were devastated by the bush fires.
In recognition of Bradley’s efforts he will receive a National Champion certificate and a Milton Mobile
Family Experience Pack to the value of $250.
“As a result, 720 Plasmar plastic fence posts have been donated to fence more than 5km of property
and creek boundaries in the Baw Baw Shire Council and Kinglake areas.
“Over 90% of the materials found in mobile phones can be recovered and used to make new products.
The plastics from the handsets and chargers are shredded and combined with other plastics to make
Plasmar fence posts, made locally in Melbourne by Australia Composite Technology (ACT). This
includes the plastic fence posts which have been donated to Labertouche Primary, Middle Kinglake
Primary Schools and a number of local farmers in the Baw Baw Shire area,” concluded Ms Read.
MobileMuster is a year round free program, so residents can continue to hand in their old mobile
phones, batteries, accessories and chargers for recycling at any one of MobileMuster’s 3,500 drop-off
points nationally. Alternatively they can pick up a free recycling satchel from participating Australia
Post outlets or downloading a free reply paid label from www.mobilemuster.com.au
To find your nearest MobileMuster drop off point or to download a free mailing label go to
www.mobilemuster.com.au or call 1300 730 070.
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview contact:
Eileen Lorenzo
Professional Public Relations
Telephone: 02 9818 0979
Email: elorenzo@ppr.com.au
About MobileMuster (figures current at 30 June, 2009)
• There are over 3,500 MobileMuster collection points across Australia, including
Nokia Care and Motorola Service One Centres; mobile phone retailers Telstra,
Optus, Vodafone, 3 Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Crazy Johns, Fone Zone, Allphones as
well as participating local councils, Cartridge World and Battery World stores and
selected ANZ and Sydney Credit Union branches
• There are over 21 million mobile phone subscribers
• Australians upgrade or exchange their mobile phones every 18 to 24 months
• 80% of people choose to keep or give away their old mobile phones, less than 2% throw
them out
• Net imports of mobile phones into Australia for 2008/09 were 7.8 million units. This is
equivalent to 1,560 tonnes (assuming average unit weight of 200g – handset,
battery, charger and accessory included)
• In 2008/2009 MobileMuster collected 122 tonnes of mobile phone components
including 806,000 handsets and batteries, 26% more than 2007/08.
• 621 tonnes of handsets, batteries, chargers and accessories have been collected since
the recycling program was initiated by AMTA in 1999. This includes 4.26 million batteries
and handsets
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