Monash the top Victorian mobile phone recycler
Published on 28 June 2022
Monash Council is again the top recycler of mobile phones in Victoria under the popular MobileMuster partnership program.
Monash earned the Top Recycler Award for Victoria as part of MobileMuster’s Local Government Awards 2022. This year’s win repeats Council’s success in 2020 and 2021.
The award goes to the council in each state and territory that collects the most mobile phone components (measured in kilograms) for recycling between March 2021 and April 2022.
Council’s drop-off locations contributed 263kg of mobile phone components in that period.
Across all participating councils in Australia, over 5.8 tonnes of mobile phone components were collected, equating to more than 35,000 handsets and batteries. The environmental benefits of recycling all these old mobiles and batteries is equivalent to planting 335 trees.
Council has partnered with MobileMuster since 2008 and has several drop-off locations, including the Civic Centre in Glen Waverley, Oakleigh Service Centre, Monash Recycling and Waste Centre in Notting Hill, Wheelers Hill Library and Glen Waverley Library.
Monash Mayor Stuart James said Council was proud to be a leader in community education about recycling and sustainability.
“It’s amazing to see the uptake from our residents each year for this free service, highlighting our community’s commitment to doing everything they can to send as little as possible to landfill,” Cr James said.
“We all have a part to play, and Council is proud to offer convenient public drop-off points as part of the MobileMuster program. It’s important to us to educate the community about responsible recycling and doing what we can to help divert thousands of tonnes of non-renewable resources out of landfill and back into the manufacture of new products.”
MobileMuster is the product stewardship program of the Australian mobile phone industry, accredited by the Federal Government. Since 1998, it has been working with local councils to make recycling accessible to the community.
With e-waste growing at three times the rate of general waste in Australia, 25 million old mobile phones are stockpiled in cupboards and drawers across the country. The MobileMuster program recovers more than 95 per cent of the material from unwanted mobiles and accessories, which are then used in the manufacturing of new products. The program from 1 July this year will also accepts modems, routers, landline phones, smart home technology, and wearables.
Media Contact: Jo Robertson 0418 391 979 or Joanne.Robertson@monash.vic.gov.au