You can now bring your old phones into the Whyalla City Council Office located in Darling Tce, pop them in the special recycle box and we will do the rest. This partnership between the Whyalla City Council, Clean Up Australia and Aussie Recycling Program aims to divert disused mobile phones from ending up in landfill.

This environmentally safe disposal of unwanted mobile phones is a growing e-waste issue, so this new service is a pro-active way in which Council could assist both residents and the environment.

Australians purchase around seven million new mobile phones each year, with an estimated 12.4 million phones lying around in home cupboards and office desks.

Getting rid of phones in the correct manner ensures that poisonous substances are kept out of landfill. Mobile phones contain a cocktail of highly toxic elements such as cadmium, arsenic and lead these can lead to a variety of serious health issues if released into the environment.

Phones that are not too old or damaged will be cleaned up, repaired and sent overseas to developing countries. This will help provide access to telecommunications in countries that currently have very little or no modern phone systems. All other mobiles will be recycled with zero waste going to landfill.

Mobile Phone Facts

What Australian's do with their old mobile phones?

An independent survey of 900 people across Australia by the Klein Partnership in early 2005 revealed that:

• 41% of Australians keep their old mobile phones (working or not),
• 24% give away their old mobile phones away either to family or friends (18%), employer (4%) or retailer (2%),
• 9% throw out,
• 8% of people have lost or had their mobile phone stolen,
• 4% recycle them,
• 4% said it was still in use,
• 5% either traded (4%) it in or sold it (1%)
• 1% donated to charity
• 1% other
• 2% don't know

Estimated No. of mobile phones stored in cupboards and draws

12.4 million

Estimated No. of mobile phones in use currently

17.5 million

What can be recycled?

Over 90% of the materials in mobile phones can be recovered and used as raw materials for new products.

• Batteries include nickel to make stainless steel and cobalt and cadmium to make new batteries.
• Circuit boards include small amounts of gold and silver that is used in jewellery and other applications.
• Handset housings and casings include plastics that are shredded and used to make fence posts and pallets.
• Accessories include plastics and metals that are shredded, sorted and then used to make new plastic or metal products.

Why recycle?

• prevent pollution and protect our environment
• minimise solid and hazardous waste going to landfill
• recover resources to manufacture new products
• reduce the need to use raw materials and save our natural resources

So look after the environment and recycle your old phone!